ADD - ADHD

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Also review Related Articles: Autism, Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders.

ADD - ADHD

NIH - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder "According to the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders2 (DSM-IV-TR), there are three patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD. People with ADHD may show several signs of being consistently inattentive. They may have a pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive far more than others of their age. Or they may show all three types of behavior. This means that there are three subtypes of ADHD recognized by professionals. These are the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (that does not show significant inattention); the predominantly inattentive type (that does not show significant hyperactive-impulsive behavior) sometimes called ADD—an outdated term for this entire disorder; and the combined type (that displays both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms)."

NHS - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) “Symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents The symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents are well defined. The main symptoms of each behavioural problem are detailed below. Inattentiveness • a very short attention span, • being very easily distracted, • being unable to stick at tasks that are tedious, or time consuming, • being unable to listen to, or carry out, instructions, • being unable to concentrate, and • constantly changing activity, or task. Hyperactivity • being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings, • constantly fidgeting, • being unable to settle to tasks, and • excessive physical movement. Impulsiveness • being unable to wait for a turn, • acting without thinking, • breaking any set rules, and • little or no sense of danger. If your child has ADHD, their symptoms usually become noticeable at around the age of five. ADHD can cause many problems in your child's life, and can often lead to underachievement at school, poor social interaction with other children and adults, and problems with discipline.“

Highlighted Articles

Identifying, Evaluating, Diagnosing, and Treating ADHD in Minority Youth (Journal of Attention Disorders 2008) “Untreated ADHD carries greater risk for substance abuse, impulsive behavior, and legal conflicts, whereas overdiagnosing and overtreating risk stigma associated with mental disorder, growth limitation, and tachycardia or hypertension. This dichotomy is even more perplexing for minority youth, many of whom are disadvantaged and lack access to care. Stressful living circumstances increase the likelihood a minority child will be diagnosed with ADHD (Barbarin & Soler, 1993). Fearing their child will be labeled, minority parents may hesitate to ask for help. … Cultural awareness during the assessment and history gathering is critical for the evaluation of minority youth. There are ADHD scales more appropriate for minority children. In addition, we are learning that children of diversity may not respond to all medications the same way Caucasian children do. The more we learn about genetic variations, the more we are likely to understand why medication alone is not effective in all cases and should not be considered the only treatment tool. Prosocial skills training, psychotherapy for the children, and support for the parents are all key if we want these children to truly succeed.”

ADHD in Children With Comorbid Conditions: Diagnosis, Misdiagnosis, and Keeping Tabs on Both (2007) "There is a complex interplay between ADHD and its commonly occurring comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder (BPD), and substance abuse. Comorbidity greatly influences presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis; complicates treatment; and significantly increases the morbidity and disease burden of ADHD.[6] When ADHD is comorbid with another psychiatric disorder, it is often the first disorder to develop, and children with severe ADHD symptoms have a higher likelihood of developing other psychiatric disorders.[1] When evaluating for comorbid conditions, the clinician should attempt to determine whether one "primary" condition can fully account for the most disabling and distressing symptoms. If a primary condition can fully explain such symptoms, then the other condition should not be diagnosed. For example, if a patient has ADHD symptoms only during episodes of bipolarity, ADHD would not be diagnosed. "

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Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Risk Factors

NEWS:

Kids with ADHD More Likely to Have Missing DNA

Molecular genetics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an overview. (Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010)

More Evidence Organophosphate Pesticides Raise ADHD Risk in Children “Organophosphate pesticides work by disrupting neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine, which is critical for brain development in humans and helps to sustain attention and short-term memory. Exposure to these compounds may also disrupt DNA replication and the growth of nerve axons and dendrites. Young children are more vulnerable to organophosphate exposure than adults because of lower levels of acetylcholinesterase, which detoxifies these pesticides, the study authors explained.”

Pesticides in kids linked to ADHD “Exposure to pesticides used on common kid-friendly foods — including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery — appears to boost the chances that children will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, new research shows. Youngsters with high levels of pesticide residue in their urine, particularly from widely used types of insecticide such as malathion, were more likely to have ADHD, the behavior disorder that often disrupts school and social life, scientists in the United States and Canada found. “

Study Says Lead May Be The Culprit In ADHD “Nigg offers a causal model for the disabling symptoms associated with ADHD: Lead attaches to sites in the brain's striatum and frontal cortex, where it acts on the genes in these regions-causing them to turn on or remain inactive. Gene activity shapes the development and activity of these brain regions. By disrupting brain activity, the toxin in turn alters psychological processes supported by these neurons, notably cognitive control. Finally, diminished cognitive control contributes to hyperactivity and lack of vigilance. Nigg describes his new data and his explanatory model in the February issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.”

Western diet link to ADHD “"We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences," Dr Oddy said. "We looked at the dietary patterns amongst the adolescents and compared the diet information against whether or not the adolescent had received a diagnosis of ADHD by the age of 14 years. In our study, 115 adolescents had been diagnosed with ADHD, 91 boys and 24 girls." A "healthy" pattern is a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and fish. It tends to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids, folate and fibre. A "Western" pattern is a diet with a trend towards takeaway foods, confectionary, processed, fried and refined foods. These diets tend to be higher in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugar and sodium. "When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products and confectionary," Dr Oddy said. "We suggest that a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function. "It also may be that the Western dietary pattern doesn't provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that a Western diet might contain more colours, flavours and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. It may also be that impulsivity, which is a characteristic of ADHD, leads to poor dietary choices such as quick snacks when hungry." “

ARTICLES:

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides (Pediatrics 2010)

Fitting the pieces together: current research on the genetic basis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2010)

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