Experts Call for New Approach to ADHD

Results of a long-term study conducted by researchers at UCLA have the medical community calling for an upgrade to the diagnostic and treatment criteria for ADHD. This first-of-its-kind study found that only about half of the children who were diagnosed with ADHD exhibit the cognitive issues most commonly associated with the condition.

"Part of the explanation may lie in the common method for diagnosing the disorder. ADHD is an extreme on a normal continuum of behavior that varies in the population, much like height, weight or IQ. Its diagnosis, and thus its prevalence, is defined by where health professionals 'draw the line' on this continuum, based on the severity of the symptoms and overall impairment."

Another finding that has raised eyebrows is that, in Finland - where the study was conducted, ADHD is rarely treated with medication like it is in the United States. Despite that, ADHD "looked" the same in both countries, regardless of whether it was being treated medically, which raises questions as to the effectiveness of current ADHD treatments. Read more at PsychCentral.com.

British Study Links Hyperactivity To Food Colorings, Additives

A study of 300 British children found that consuming food additives and colorings increased their hyperactivity, regardless of whether they had a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder.

Professor Jim Stevenson observed significant differences in behaviors after groups of three-year-olds and groups of seven and eight-year-olds drank beverages containing carmoisine, tartrazine, ponceau 4R, sodium benzoate, sunset yellow coloring and other common colorings.

This study from the University of Southampton adds to the controversy about food additives and hyperactivity. Many parents of hyperactive children and children with disorders such as Asperger Syndrome believe that eliminating such additives helps their children. Nevertheless, double-bind studies have disproved their anecdotal evidence.

"This is a well-designed and potentially very important study," said Dr. Sue Baic, a dietician at the University of Bristol. "Feeding children diets largely consisting of heavily processed foods, which may also be high in fat, salt and sugar, is not optimal for their health. This study appears in the British medical journal, Lancet.

Learn more about Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning Autism at YourLittleProfessor.com.

Children's Programming may be Linked to ADHD

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatric researcher at Children's Hospital in Seattle, recently conducted a study on the effects of television on young children. He found that children between the ages of 1 and 3 who watch an hour of TV per day are 10% more likely to develop attention problems by the time they're 7-years-old.

"Children's programmers use a technique called the 'orienting reflex', known as OR, to capture and keep a child's attention. OR works this way: If we see or hear something the brain doesn't recognize as the correct sequence or a typical life event - such as a dancing alphabet or quick zooms and pans, we focus on it until the brain recognizes that it doesn't pose a threat. The problem with watching too many programs that rely on OR is that real life becomes slow and boring by comparison."

Continued exposure to this type of input conditions causes the mind to expect it all the time. When a child's mind has been conditioned in this way, but doesn't receive the high-intensity input, the child becomes bored and inattentive. Read more at MSNBC.MNS.com.

Specialized Aspergers schools can help children get the best education and treatment. New Leaf Academy can help middle school girls with mild Aspergers.

Study Asks How ADHD Teens Cope

Ten years ago, Johnston County, North Carolina was the subject of a study on teens and ADHD. Now, researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University have returned to do a follow-up study.

"Most of what is known about ADHD stems from smaller clinical studies, predominantly of Caucasian boys with the hyperactive form of the disorder. Much less is known about ADHD in young adults, especially females, African-Americans and children with the inattentive type of ADHD."

The original study revealed that about 10% of first- through fifth-graders in Johnston County had been diagnosed with ADHD; a far cry from the 3-5% cited in other studies. The follow-up study is focused on determining long-term effects of ADHD medication, and some of the potential myths surrounding ADHD – like the belief that it leads to riskier behavior (drinking, substance abuse, etc...). Read more at NewsObserver.com.

UF Study Looking for Children with ADHD

Sheila Eyberg is a researcher at the University of Florida who is co-authoring a study about a behavioral treatment for children with ADHD. Her team has been awarded a $2.9 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Now they just need families to participate.

"The UF treatment program will use Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, a step-by-step, live-coached behavioral parent training model developed by Eyberg and used in clinics across the country. Along with co-investigators Stephen Boggs and Dr. Regina Bussing, Eyberg and the UF team will offer the therapy to more than 120 families with children with ADHD in the Gainesville area."

Families interested in participating should have at least one child between the ages of 4 and 6 that is diagnosed with ADHD or suspected of having ADHD. An assessment will be conducted by the studies investigators to determine which families are eligible to participate. Read more at Gainesville.com.

Worried about the public school your child attends and if it's set up for your child who has a non verbal learning disorder? Cedars Academy and New Leaf Academy are geared for boys and girls with non verbal learning disorders. Both schools can also cater to children with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD.

In Utero Exposure to Smoking Can Increase Risk of ADHD

A recent study conducted by members of the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, and St. Louis, Missouri finds that a woman who smokes during pregnancy increases her child's risk of ADHD.

"When genetic factors are combined with prenatal cigarette smoke exposure, the ADHD risk... increased 3 to 9 fold."

The study was conducted using both male and female twin pairs, aged 7-19 years, to determine if there was in fact a relationship between genetic variations, prenatal smoke exposure, and ADHD.Read more at Elsevier.com.

Help for parents of troubled teens can be found at ByParents-ForParents. Parents of troubled teens can get help in the form of online resources and articles to help parents of troubled teens.

Clinical Trial Supports Benefits of Omega-3

Many studies have been conducted about the affects of Omega-3 on children with ADHD. Many have found that ADHD symptoms decrease significantly when Omega-3 is introduced to a child's diet. However, some in the medical community have expressed doubts about the studies, claiming the research methods weren't adequate. The most recent study of Omega-3 may put some of those concerns to rest.

"The new study from the University of South Australia recruited 132 kids with ADHD aged 7 to 12 for the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention study. One hundred and four children completed the trial."

The trial lasted for a total of 30 weeks and by the end, the behavior ratings given by parents showed significant improvement in 9 of the 14 scales of the Conner's Parent Rating Scales. Read more online.

Bipolar Disorder Commonly Misdiagnosed

In an essay appearing March 17 in The Lancet, Franco Benazzi, MD, PhD, writes about a common but poorly recognized form of bipolar disorder, called bipolar disorder II. Because the disorder is so often misdiagnosed, patients are often wrongly treated with antidepressants alone, which can make the problem worse, the professor of psychiatry tells WebMD.

ADHD Not Just an American Condition

The use of ADHD medications is growing worldwide, which dispels the idea that it's a condition unique to Americans. Currently, usage rates are increasing faster in countries like France and Japan.

"A lot of people are saying this is an American problem and that medications are over prescribed in this country. This (study) shows other countries are finding they have the same problems."

The study looked at the use of psycho-stimulant medications globally and found that the number of countries using these medications increased from 31 to fifty-five.

Read more online.

Study Shows Near-Tripling of Global ADHD Drug Use

The use of drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has more than tripled worldwide since 1993, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. And spending on such drugs rose nine-fold between 1993 and 2003, the team at the University of California, Berkeley reported. Read more online.