As a parent of a child with ADHD who has eliminated sleep problems or no longer wrings hands as a result of taking medications, this study will make you wonder on what the treatment consequence is between hyperactivity and basic function.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison study performed studies on three monkeys that were given varying doses of methylphenidate (Ritalin). The monkeys were trained to focus at a target “dot” on a computer screen while another passed quickly.

Researchers found out that lower doses of the Ritalin apparently boosted the monkey’s ability to learn and higher doses negatively affected the monkey’s working memory and learning capability. Hyperactivity symptoms were reduced. Researchers said the monkeys given the higher doses continued with the task, but they kept making the same mistakes.

Checking if Ritalin medication enhanced the working memory at low doses, researchers were surprised to find out that there was no effect. The monkeys that were given low dose of medication did not show any memory enhancement while the ones given the higher medication dose performed worse than those with lower doses. Luis Populin, PhD, head author of the study and Bradley Postle, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin, explained that the medication Ritalin or methylphenidate has effects on the brain’s executive function. The drug can create an environment in the brain that will facilitate memory retention and formation, depending on the dose. From the study findings, it was discovered that a lower dose of the medication assisted in creating the conditions for success without really improving the memory function at all.

Dr. Populin highlighted the findings that the right dose of ADHD medications is vital for both the adult and the children afflicted with the disorder. Doctors should be aware that subjecting the patients to higher doses of medication may eventually compromise the cognitive ability of the patient. It s therefore critical that the parent discusses the medication dose level of their child with ADHD, with the doctor to make sure that he or she is not given higher doses of the ADHD drug or medication as it may cause problems with the kid’s academic performance.

The findings of this research is aligned with the findings of a 1977 research which showed that a low dose of ADHD drug boosted the child’s cognitive performance and a higher dose lessened their hyperactivity symptoms and negatively affected their memory test performance.

The University of Madison study on the monkeys was published in the Cognitive Neuroscience Journal.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120308153537.htm

According to new research, abnormalities may actually be attributed to the Bipolar Disorder patient who also has symptoms of ADHD. ADHD and Bipolar Disorder has a comorbidity prevalence of 5 to 20 percent. These two frequently co-exist but often overlooked when looking at MRI scans. For the new study, the University of California at Los Angeles researchers set out to find out how Bipolar Disorder and ADHD separately contributed to abnormalities in the brain found during MRI.

The study recruited 85 participants 17 of which had Bipolar Disorder and 19 had ADHD only. 18 participants had both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder and 31 showed no indication of any mental disorder. The Bipolar Disorder participants were not taking lithium and were not in depressive state.

MRI was used by the researchers to measure the participants cortical thickness. Through an analysis of the frontal part of the cingulate cortex and the anterior part of the brain’s frontal lobes, results showed the participants who have Bipolar Disorder lessened cortical thickness with and without co-existing ADHD. On the other hand, the effect of Bipolar Disorder on the cortical thickness was not the same in patients with ADHD and without ADHD in the right orbitofrontal cortex and left subgenual cingulated.

Through the MRI researchers observed that cortical thinning in the right orbitofrontal cortex was linked with Bipolar Disorder, only if the patient has no ADHD diagnosis. The presence of ADHD, in the left subgenual cingulated removed the thinning of the brain’s cortex linked with Bipolar Disorder.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/12/09/brain-abnormalities-linked-to-comorbid-adhd-in-bipolar-disorder/48851.html

Earlier studies indicated findings pointing to genetic, prenatal, postnatal and environmental factors to be associated with distorted neuro-development. Unfortunately, there is not enough information to support the association of ADHD in children and ischemic-hypoxic conditions.

Darios Getahun, MD, PhD, of the Department of Research and Evaluation of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospital, and his co-workers extracted data from population database from kids between 5 and 11 years of age who were born between 1995 and 2010, in Kaiser Permanente hospitals. In the study, for every patient, the researchers collected information from the perinatal service system, outpatient doctor encounters, inpatient records from the hospital, pharmacy and laboratory records. The research was done to examine the link between ADHD and IHC. Findings derived from the study revealed that 4.3% (about 13,613) children, of the children in the study group had ADHD diagnosis.

Included in the study group were children diagnosed with ADHD and who received at least two ADHD-specific prescriptions during the follow-up period. Age and diagnosis were the matching criteria for five control children. Taken from perinatal service system records are additional information which included behavioral characteristics, maternal sociodemographoc, child race or ethnicity, perinatal complications, gender and age.

Children with ADHD were likely to be of black/white ethnicity and male. The same children are also prone to IHC exposure. The study findings suggest that IHCs are linked with ADHD in children’s early years even after considering for other possible danger like gestational age. Events in pregnancy are said to contribute to the origin of this condition over and above the well known familial or genetic influences.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121210080833.htm

A study which analyzed over 11,000 children for a period of six years, from 6 months old through adolescence revealed that a higher incidence of behavioral and emotional issues such as hyperactivity, depression, anxiety and aggressiveness are present in children with sleeping problems and sleep disordered breathing such as breathing through the mouth, snoring and apnea a condition where a child seemingly stops breathing for a few seconds at a time. Children with sleep disorders are likely to develop symptoms similar to ADHD by about 50 to 90 percent than children without sleep-disordered breathing problems. Children around age 2 with severe breathing patterns are the most likely candidate at risk for hyperactivity.

According to Kevin Smith, a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, sleep disorders are believed to be contributing to ADHD like behavior during the day. Karen Bonuck, lead author of the study and professor of family and social medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York explains that brain neurons may be damaged by lack of sleep. One reason could be low level of oxygen level and high carbon dioxide level; other reasons could be interference with sleep’s restorative processes and disruption in the balance of cellular and chemical systems. Bonuck explained further that nighttime sleep patterns should be checked when a child is being suspected of having the symptoms of ADHD. Parents may want to document the problematic behavior through a video or audio tape.

Another study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona revealed similar results children with obstructive sleep apnea or OSA showed specific symptoms of aggression and hyperactivity. They also showed lacking in social interactions and leadership skills. This was explained by Michelle Perfect, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Arizona and lead author of the study which assessed the behavior of 263 older children, some of whom have OSA and some without. Findings reaffirmed similar findings of other studies pointing to higher OSA rates in children with ADHD.

Authors of these studies urge teachers, school personnel and clinicians to include sleep problems or sleep disorders when a child manifests hyperactivity and attention problems. It could be that OSA symptoms aggravate the symptoms of ADHD.

Researchers worry that in case of a misdiagnosed ADHD, the child runs the risk of being given stimulant medications like Vyvanse and Ritalin and these stimulants can cause insomnia. If statistics released by the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are any indication, there is an increasing trend in children receiving prescribed stimulant medications. These statistics somehow support the connection and link of sleep disorders with ADHD.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2012/06/20/does-your-child-really-have-adhd

A study researcher David W. Brook, MD, a New York University School of Medicine psychiatry professor explained that an estimated 40 percent of children with ADHD continued to manifest symptoms into adolescence and adulthood. He further went on to explain that teens with ADHD suffer the long-lasting effects of the disorder and they manifest difficulty in adjusting to the pressures of life in terms of parenthood, being a worker and wage earner.

The researchers involved in the study evaluated the teens development from being adolescents until they become adults in terms of work performance, concerns over finances including their physical and mental health. Their findings showed that teens and young adults with ADHD:

• Were more prone to have problems on their physical health, twice more than those without ADHD
• Showed the likelihood of having antisocial personality disorder, more than 5 times compared to those without the disorder
• Were more likely to have mental health issues, twice more than those without ADHD
• Manifested having impaired work performance, twice more than those without the disorder
• Were likely to experience financial stress, three times more than those without ADHD

These findings came as no surprise, according to the CEO of CHADD, Ruth Hughes, PhD. She agreed on the importance of early intervention in order to allow children to help cope with life’s difficulties. Parents are therefore instrumental in providing their children with early treatment.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/12/31/many-adhd-teens-carry-problems-into-adulthood/49865.html

The report published by New York Times notes the challenges experienced by teens with ADHD who drive:

• ADHD-afflicted teenagers can be good drivers, but their condition should find them better off if they just remain the passenger and not the driver. If their conditions improve, they can try driving but they should do it when they are much older and more in control of their symptoms.
• One of the foremost reasons for car crashes is the driver’s apparent lack of concentration or focus in driving. Inattention is a major symptom of ADHD and teens with the disorder are more prone to accidents because of this. This was confirmed by Bruce Simons-Morton, a senior investigator of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, in Bethesda, Md. stating that this major symptom of inattention is essentially the biggest challenge of ADHD-afflicted teenagers who desire of being able to drive a car.

According to Dr Simons-Morton, most of the car crashes that occur are caused by a driver that loses his attention on the road even for a quick two seconds. This increased the risk of car accidents two times more than with drivers who don’t have ADHD.

Dr Simons-Morton also explained that drivers who have not enough driving experience are easily distracted and as such can easily take their eyes off the road. This finding was made on the basis of a study conducted on a closed course showing that even if the teenagers are in fact better in texting or using their mobile phones while driving, they tend to bypass or ignore street signs because of the attention they give to texting or calling.

This is made worse by the unnecessary noise produced in cars through mobile phones, bluetooth devices, iPods or smart phones. This is the analysis made by Lissa Robins Kapust – a coordinator and social worker of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s driving program in Boston.

Dr Russel A. Barkley of the Medical University of South Carolina explained that another ADHD symptom – impulsiveness is linked to risk-taking of ADHD people at extremely high levels, aside from inattention. In addition, Dr Barkley noted that such bad combinations can easily spell out disaster for teenagers afflicted with ADHD who go behind the wheel despite the dangers. This is because ADHD-teenagers who drive tend to be overconfident about their driving capabilities and skills.

Being behind a wheel is not a simple process as it requires a great deal of attention, patience and focus. Unfortunately, these qualities are not possessed by teenagers with ADHD. And for this reason, parents are encouraged by researchers not to allow their ADHD-afflicted teenage children from even attempting to drive a vehicle. If their driving skills and abilities are not at all affected by their ADHD symptoms, it is necessary that they wait and subject themselves to testing to find out if they are ready and physically prepared for driving.

Another study from the University of California also came out with the online report published on the Journal of Psychiatric Research revealing that teenagers with ADHD are not likely to complete and finish high school. In the same study which was led by Dr Joshua Breslau, it was revealed that almost a third of ADHD students drop out of school and are left behind by their peers. The dropout rate of 15 percent on the national high school level is one of the findings in this study. According to Dr Breslau, he said that all types of ADHD are linked to the high dropout rate.

The parents of teenagers with ADHD are again encouraged to foster a communication and coordination between the pediatrician or the primary healthcare provider for children and the child’s teacher in order to check and monitor the academic performance of the child and his or her medical health. Dr Breslau knows that there is a need to integrate education with school health.

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/teens-adhd-safe-behind-wheel-133000872.html

http://www.parents.com/blogs/parents-news-now/2012/03/27/safety/adhd-teens-face-driving-challenges/

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/28/adhd-teens-more-likely-to-drop-out/