From Dr. Wilens, Mass. General, by AudioDigest, on current ADHD research:
- Our ADHD brains are different. When given a certain task, an extra area of our cortex lights up compared to vanillas. This makes neural processing less efficient. Studies also found that some of our connecting tracts between brain areas are different in ADHD. This is more evidence that ADHD is a real and specific condition.
2. In some people, stimulant medications will change these brain alterations to, or towards, normal.
3. The less good outcomes of having ADHD include mortality, suicide or attempts, substance abuse, smoking, school problems, criminality, motor vehicle accidents, low self esteem, depression, anxiety disorders and conduct disorders, among many other undesirable outcomes.
4. These outcomes are correlated with untreated ADHD versus treated. The earlier medication is started and the longer used, the better the outcome.
5. Note that this a correlation and does not prove cause. For example, maybe the kids that got medication earlier and stayed on it longer had better parents, which may have been the causal factor. However, the correlation, along with the normalizing of the brain with meds, is highly suggestive of a causal relationship.
doug
Footnote 1: There are no footnotes. Use google.
Promise O the Day: I will try to follow this up next time, with more about ADHD itself, and both medications and alternative treatments for ADHD.
Tip O the Day: Notice how I said “I will try.” I learned long ago not to make promises.
Question O the Day: I am using medication. Will write more about this also. Are you using medication or not?
With ADHD, we sometimes have occupational challenges.
Be informed about ADHD.
Or it might have to do with the way your brain works. Or doesn’t.
Some ADHD children don’t outgrow it. Anyone come to mind?
“I don’t believe in ADHD.”
I like the frankness of the post. Two things that stood out are that you openly acknowledge that medication can help, and that people with this challenge may have non-academic challenges.
It’s refreshing to hear this because I often feel like I am the only one in the room advocating to look into medication because people have an instant negative reaction to medication. But if you have done a lot of the other interventions and there are still some areas of concern, medication for ADHD can save lives…it did mine!
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beckett
medicine can be wonderful or awful. Everyone is different. but when it works, it can make a huge difference as you say.
thank you for commenting
doug
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Good blog!
Love, M
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thank you
love
doug
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