There is new ADHD research, but nothing that new.
The stimulants sometimes cause insomnia. (This can usually be fixed by changing dose, schedule, or medication. I need to get my Daytrana patch off by 5:10 PM and I usually do. I need two different alarms, 5:10 and 5:20, to manage it. If I have insomnia, the first thing I do is check to see if the patch is still on.)
Adolescents with ADHD sometimes stop taking their medication (Surprising, because it should be helping them. Not sure why they do this, but then, they are adolescents.)
The stimulants are abused in college, generally not by kids who actually have ADHD, but kids with ADHD may share them or sell them and may get pressured to do so.
The idea that the stimulants will help with study or grades is generally a myth.
There is not one specific ADHD gene, but a number of (single nucleotide) mutations, each with small effect but additive. (Copy variants or deletions might have a more powerful effect?) ADHD runs in families, especially on the male side.
Our ADHD brains mature more slowly than vanillas’ and some parts are smaller. And adults who have “outgrown” their ADHD ( 50% of us, not me) still show the brain abnormalities. The basal ganglia still seem central to the relevant brain networks.
Pollutants, during pregnancy or early childhood, may contribute somewhat to developing ADHD (presumably through epigenetics, altering the activity of genes without altering the gene.)
doug
Personal Comments O the Day:
Some studies suggest that ADHD is just one end of a spectrum, and while I tend to respect the science, although with caution, I don’t believe this. I think that we are different, a different tribe (not just one end of a bell shaped curve.) I do not pretend to understand the genetics; please feel free to correct my errors on those. There are still some people who do not believe in ADHD in spite of all the evidence; I do not find it useful to try to convince them but just allow them to wallow in their ignorance and wrongness -“My, that IS an interesting viewpoint. So, do you think it might rain tomorrow?”
Link:
Personal Note O the Day:
Last Sunday I courteously held the door open for a very elderly couple to exit the church. I felt quite good about myself, being so gentlemanly, until they turned to thank me. They were both younger than me.
- #adhd #add @dougmkpdp @adhdstrategies
Snuck up on me!
ADDadultstrategies 