| O.K. I've heard it a hundred times from my prison guard | | | | (asymmetries which cause problems with self-control), |
| friends, "I don't believe that there is such a thing as | | | | and globus pallidus. They also show that the right |
| ADD. It's only something made up from the drug | | | | hemisphere of the ADHD brain is, on average, 5% |
| companies to drug our children." They know because | | | | smaller than the control groups. They also show |
| they read an article in a magazine, or saw a show on | | | | differences in blood flow in certain parts of the brain, |
| TV once. I guess they also believe in aliens in | | | | as well as specific chemical abnormalities in ADHD |
| government, and that Elvis still lives somewhere in | | | | subjects. |
| Oklahoma. | | | | The studies on Essential Fatty Acid levels in ADHD |
| Look, there are lots of physical differences between | | | | subjects vs. non-ADHD subjects are interesting. The |
| the actual brains of people with ADD and those who | | | | ADHD groups had significantly lower concentrations of |
| don't have it, and there are also functional differences | | | | key essential fatty acids than did the control groups, |
| in the way that their brains work. And there are lots of | | | | and about 40% of the ADHD group showed signs of |
| scientists and physicians who are investing lots of time | | | | EFA deficiency (increased thirst, frequent urination, dry |
| and money into identifying and writing about those | | | | skin, and dry hair). Low levels of Omega 6 EFAs |
| differences. Just because their research is too boring | | | | contributed to higher incidents of illness (colds, flu, etc.), |
| to make the Morning Show on TV doesn't mean that it | | | | and deficits in Omega 3 EFAs contributed to problems |
| doesn't exist, or isn't true. | | | | with learning, behavior, sleep, and temper. These |
| The Functional Differences include studies with EEGs, | | | | studies support the case for EFA supplementation as |
| Q-EEGs, CPTs, psychological testing, and "functional" | | | | a part of the overall treatment approach to ADHD. |
| MRIs (fMRI). They showed differences in activation | | | | Genetic Studies on Attention Deficit Disorder show |
| levels of various areas of the brain, differences in | | | | gene alterations that may contribute to ADHD in some |
| brainwave patterns, and differences in glucose | | | | children. They are especially looking at the DRD4 |
| metabolism (as measure of brain work load) between | | | | dopamine receptor gene. Familial Genetic Studies |
| ADHD subjects and non-ADHD subjects. They also | | | | show that Attention Deficit Disorder runs in families. For |
| showed the ADD ADHD groups to have poorer | | | | example, a child with an older sibling with ADHD is |
| performance on timed tasks, slower reaction time, | | | | 300% to 500% more likely to himself have Attention |
| slower processing times, lower problem solving abilities, | | | | Deficit Disorder than is a child without ADHD siblings. |
| less fine motor control, less gross motor control, | | | | Twin studies and Adoption studies are also included. |
| differences in evoked potentials, and problems with | | | | Is your head spinning yet? I hope so. |
| inhibition, as compared to the controls. | | | | ADHD is a real disorder with a neurological basis. It |
| The Structural Differences include studies with MRIs, | | | | impacts about 5% of the population in America, so it is |
| PET scans, and SPECT scans. They show subtle | | | | a very real problem for a lot of people. Stop trying to |
| structural differences in the prefrontal cortex (smaller | | | | make it into a myth or an excuse. It is a condition that |
| right anterior frontal cortex, and less white matter in | | | | can be treated, improved, helped, and overcome with |
| the right frontal lobes which cause problems with | | | | the proper interventions. To learn more about ADHD |
| sustained or focused attention), caudate nucleus | | | | visit the ADHD Information Library. |