ScienceDaily: Attention Deficit Disorder News

Western diet link to ADHD, Australian study finds
A new study from Australia shows an association between ADHD and a "Western-style" diet in adolescents. The study examined the dietary patterns of 1800 adolescents from the long-term Raine Study and c...

ADHD, conduct disorder and smoking most strongly related to dropping out of high school
Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- the most common childhood psychiatric condition in the United States -- are less likely to finish high school on time than students with o...

Widely used chemicals linked to ADHD in children
Researchers suggests a link between polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), industrial compounds which are widely used in many consumer products, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. PF...

ADHD linked to low maternal education, lone parents and welfare benefits, Swedish study finds
A major study of 1.16 million six to 19 year-olds has found strong links between receiving medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and limited maternal education, single parent ...

Pesticide exposure may contribute to ADHD, study finds
A team of scientists has discovered that exposure to organophosphate pesticides is associated with increased risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Minorities face barriers to effective ADHD treatments, study contends
Several barriers prevent minority children with ADHD from receiving the most effective treatments, according to a new study.

Exposure to prenatal smoking may lead to psychiatric problems
New research shows that prenatal smoking can lead to psychiatric problems and increase the need for psychotropic medications in childhood and young adulthood.

Research helps end guesswork in prescribing ADHD drug
Children with ADHD who carry a specific type of dopamine receptor gene respond better to the drug methylphenidate than those without the genotype, according to new research.

Children with autism frequently receive psychotropic medications
A new study shows that use of psychotropic medications is common among children with ASD, with 27 percent of those enrolled in the network registry receiving at least one medication to manage their be...

ADHD linked to interaction of genetics and psychology
ADHD may be caused by alterations in the serotonin neurotransmission system combined with a tendency to experience psychosocial distress. Researchers found that ADHD behaviors in children and adolesce...

Synergy between behavioral and pharmacologic interventions for ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting children and adolescents. Children with ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive, and distra...

Behavioral incentives mimic effects of medication on brain systems in ADHD
Medication and behavioral interventions help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) better maintain attention and self control by normalizing activity in the same brain systems,...

Meta-cognitive therapy more effective for adult ADHD patients
Researchers have learned that meta-cognitive therapy (MCT), a method of skills teaching by use of cognitive-behavioral principles, yielded significantly greater improvements in symptoms of attention d...

Mouse model reveals a cause of ADHD
Although it's typically considered an adolescent curse, ADHD actually affects about five percent of adults as well. New research in a mouse model of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder suggests t...

Scientists discover alterations in brain's reward system related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Until now, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was related to alterations in the brain affecting attention and cognitive processes. Researchers in Spain have now discovered anomalies in th...

Neural processing differences in ADHD in individuals with and without prenatal alcohol exposure
The adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on behavioral, cognitive, and social development can lead to a range of symptoms referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Attention and c...

Lead may be the culprit in ADHD
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is among the costliest of behavioral disorders. New research suggests that the culprit may be an old villain -- lead -- and what's more it explains t...

Prenatal exposure to phthalates affects childhood neurodevelopment
A new study has found higher prenatal exposure to phthalates -- manmade chemicals that interfere with hormonal messaging -- to be connected with disruptive and problem behaviors in children between th...

Mixed-handed children more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems, study finds
Children who are mixed-handed, or ambidextrous, are more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems in childhood than right- or left-handed children, according to a new study. The ...

How to measure attention span of a fly: Implications for ADHD, autism in humans
An Australian-German team of scientists has found a way to measure the attention span of a fly. The findings could lead to further advances in the understanding of attention-deficit hyperactivity diso...

Disconnect between brain regions in ADHD
Two brain areas fail to connect when children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder attempt a task that measures attention, according to researchers.

New treatment for hyperactivity in children: Thought-operated computer system
A new thought-operated computer system which can reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children is being be rolled out across the UK.

Uniform method to interpret autism spectrum disorders
The main criterion defining autism spectrum disorders is difficulty in emotional-social behavior. Nevertheless, many people with ASD have some difficulties in three other domains -- memory, perception...

National survey tracks rates of common mental disorders among American youth
Only about half of American children and teenagers who have certain mental disorders receive professional services, according to a nationally representative survey.

Startled flies may provide insight into ADHD
It seems obvious that naturally waking up from sleep and being startled by something in the environment are two very different emotional states. However, the neuroscience that underlies these differen...

Common plastics chemicals -- phthalates -- linked to ADHD symptoms
Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some li...

Exposure to lead, tobacco smoke raises risk of ADHD
Children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke and during childhood to lead face a particularly high risk for ADHD, according to new research. The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in ...

Faulty body clock may make kids bipolar
Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be responsible for bipolar disorder in children. Researchers found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB that were associated with pediatric bipolar disord...

Language Support In Schools Vital For Children With Autism
Teachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD.

Psychiatric Symptoms May Predict Internet Addiction In Adolescents
Adolescents with psychiatric symptoms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia, hostility and depression may be more likely to develop an Internet addiction, according to a new ...

Deficits In Brain's Reward System Observed In ADHD Patients; Low Levels Of Dopamine Markers May Underlie Symptoms
A brain-imaging study provides the first definitive evidence that patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have lower-than-normal levels of certain proteins essential for exper...

Removal of Tonsils and Adenoids Associated With Ongoing Benefits for Children With Breathing Problems During Sleep
Two and a half years after children with sleep-related breathing disorders had surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids (glands in the back of the throat), they appear to sleep better than they di...

Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Have More Severe Behavioral Problems Than Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Study Finds
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have a high risk of psychiatric problems, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with FASD are often initially diagno...

Placebo Effects In Caregivers May Change Behavior Of Children With ADHD
Stimulant medications, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are the accepted treatment to stem hyperactivity in children with attention deficit-hyperactive disorder and improve their behavior. Now a recent r...

ADHD Genes Found, Known To Play Roles In Neurodevelopment
Pediatric researchers have identified hundreds of gene variations that occur more frequently in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than in children without ADHD. Many of those gene...

Did Mozart Really Have ADHD? History Of Hyperactivity Off-base, Says Researcher
A Canadian researcher working in the UK says doctors, authors and educators are doing hyperactive children a disservice by claiming that hyperactivity as we understand it today has always existed.

ADHD Linked To Sleep Problems In Adolescents
Adolescents with a childhood diagnosis of Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have current and lifetime sleep problems and disorders, regardless of the severity of curre...

No Data Supporting Antipsychotic Drug For Low-IQ Kids With ADHD
A new review finds no evidence to support the use of risperidone to treat attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in people with intellectual disabilities, even though the review authors say ...

Inadequate Sleep Leads To Behavioral Problems, Study Finds
A recent Finnish study suggests that children's short sleep duration even without sleeping difficulties increases the risk for behavioral symptoms of ADHD.

Tourette Syndrome And ADHD Frequently Occur Together
The most disabling aspect of Tourette syndrome is that in 90% of cases, it exists in conjunction with another disorder. The most frequent co-occurring condition in people with Tourette is attention de...

Eye Exercises Help Patients Work Out Vision Problems, Optometrist Says
You've probably been there. In a doctor's office, being advised to do what you dread -- exercise. You get that feeling in your gut, acknowledging that, indeed, you should exercise but probably won't. ...

Brain Wave Patterns Can Predict Blunders, New Study Finds
Everyone makes an occasional error due to lack of attention. Now scientists have found a distinct electric signature in the brain which predicts that such an error is about to be made. The discovery c...

Drug Being Used To Improve Cognition Affects Dopamine, Suggesting Potential For Abuse
Preliminary research in healthy men suggests that the narcolepsy drug modafinil, increasingly being used to enhance cognitive abilities, affects the activity of dopamine in the brain in a way that may...

Hyperactivity Enables Children With ADHD To Stay Alert: Teachers Urged Not To Severely Limit That Activity
In studies of 8- to 12-year-old boys, scientists found that children with ADHD became significantly more active than their typically developing peers during tasks that required them to remember and ma...

Underlying Sleep Problem Linked To Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder In Children
New research suggests the presence of an intrinsic sleep problem specific to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and supports the idea that children with ADHD may be chronically sleep deprived an...

Genetic Determinants Of ADHD Examined
A special issue of American Journal of Medical Genetics: Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics presents a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in genetic research of attention deficit/hyperactivi...

Television: Not The Only Channel To Early Sex
A new study says a combination of factors must be targeted to reduce sexual activity in teenagers. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 750,000 pregnancies and almost hal...

Brain Abnormalities That May Play Key Role In ADHD
A new study reveals shape differences in the brains of children with ADHD. Researchers used a new tool, large deformation diffeomorphic mapping, allowing them to examine the shape of the basal ganglia...