Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Improves Control Of Symptoms In Adult ADHD

On August 24, 2010, in ADHD, Psychotherapy, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
psychologist and patient in individual therapy

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who received medication and individual sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) showed greater improvement in symptoms through 12 months compared to patients who did not receive CBT, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA.

Nearly 1 Million Children With ADHD Are Potentially Misdiagnosed And More Likely To Receive Stimulant Medication

On August 18, 2010, in Featured, Mental Health, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Todd Elder, economist at Michigan State University

Nearly 1 million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simply because they are the youngest – and most immature – in their kindergarten class, according to new research by a Michigan State University economist. The study will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics.

Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) Meditation Found To Boost Brain Connectivity

MRI image of the human brain and cingulate

Just 11 hours of learning a meditation technique induces positive structural changes in brain connectivity by boosting efficiency in a part of the brain that helps a person regulate behavior in accordance with their goals, researchers report. The technique – integrative body-mind training (IBMT) – has been the focus of intense scrutiny by a team of Chinese researchers led by Yi-Yuan Tang of Dalian University of Technology in collaboration with University of Oregon psychologist Michael I. Posner.

ADHD, Conduct Disorder, And Smoking Most Strongly Related To Dropping Out Of High School

On July 27, 2010, in Mental Health, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
school math textbook

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 other mental-health disorders that often are considered more serious, a large national study by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine has found. The study found that nearly one third of students with ADHD, twice the proportion as students with no psychiatric disorder, either drop out or delay high school graduation.

Many Children With Sleep Disturbances Receive Medication

Picture of Judith Owens, MD

A new survey of child psychiatrists indicates that insomnia is a major problem among children in mental health treatment and at least a quarter of these patients are given sleep medication. The results of the survey, conducted by Judith Owens, MD, a sleep expert with Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and colleagues, suggests that management of insomnia in this population is a common practice, although the clinical approach varies widely. The study is published in the August 2010 edition of Sleep Medicine.

American Academy Of Pediatrics Level 2 Treatment Recommendations For ADHD Do Not Apply to Neurofeedback

teenage boy in close-up during EEG biofeedback therapy session

There has been much excitement surrounding the recent positive developments for neurofeedback (EEG-biofeedback) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the past week, news circulated that American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed neurofeedback for ADHD. Although I was also excited about this potentially important development for the field of neurofeedback and children with attentional disorders and posted an article to this effect, I found no evidence in AAP’s original announcement that Level 2 (“good evidence”) recommendations applied to neurofeedback.

American Academy Of Pediatrics Lists Biofeedback As A Level 2 Psychosocial Intervention For ADHD Symptoms

children engaged in neurofeedback

The American Academy Of Pediatrics recently published the summer edition of “Evidence-Based Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Interventions” – a guide to help clinicians and parents select treatments based on available research. Biofeedback received a “Level 2″ classification as a psychosocial intervention for the core behavioral symptoms commonly associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Check the end of this report for a link to download the original psychosocial intervention guide.

Impulsive, Weak Willed, Or Just Too Much Dopamine?

On July 4, 2010, in Neuroscience, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Brain dopamine pathways

It is a common scenario: you are on a diet, determined to give up eating cakes, but as you pass the cake counter, all resolve disappears. Now, scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London) have shed light on the brain processes that affect our will power and make us act impulsively.

Psychotropic Medications Can Cause Birth Defects

On June 26, 2010, in Medication, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Medication

Between 1998 and 2007, psychotropic medications were associated with 429 adverse drug reactions in Danish children under the age of 17. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Studies have published an article in the open access journal BMC Research Notes concluding that more than half of the 429 cases were serious and [...]

Anxiety/Panic Disorder Most Frequent Comorbid Disorder In Tourette Syndrome

Depressed Girl

An assessment of patients with adult Tourette syndrome to identify clinical factors that contribute to psychosocial and occupational disabilities resulting from the vocal or motor tics that define Tourette syndrome found that anxiety/panic disorder may be the most disabling psychiatric condition associated with the disorder. Results were recently presented at the 14th International Congress on [...]

ADHD Linked To Low Maternal Education, Lone Parents, and Welfare Benefits

On June 2, 2010, in ADHD, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Child with grandpa

A major study of more than a million children has found strong links between receiving medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and limited maternal education, single parent families and welfare benefits, according to the June issue of Acta Paediatrica.

Pesticide Exposure May Contribute To ADHD

On May 18, 2010, in ADHD, Public Health, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Toxic

A team of scientists from the University of Montreal and Harvard University have discovered that exposure to organophosphate pesticides is associated with increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. The results will be published in the journal Pediatrics.

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