The ADHD Brain IS Different
82Not Enough Dopamine, say Researchers
The kid rockets around the room like a whirling dervish - in between staring off dreamily into space. It doesn't just happen once in awhile. It's every day. Yet some still call ADHD a "made up" disability designed to let lazy parents off the hook. Others wonder, if the kid's all hyped up, why do amphetamine-type drugs like Ritalin and Dexedrine slow him down? "No such thing," as ADHD, some will say. "It's over diagnosed," insist others.
Yet a study done by the National Academy of Sciences more than a decade ago, which studied 20 years of ADHD medical records, concluded that Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder is real, that it's not over diagnosed, and that Ritalin is not over-prescribed.
In fact, The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, a division of the National Institute of Health, http://www.nih.gov/ ) conducted research using PET scans to observe the working brain. The research confirmed that the parts of the brain that control movement, attention and social judgment displayed "lower metabolic activity" - in other words, the neurons fired more slowly - in the ADHD brain than in those not afflicted by the disorder. This, then, explains why "speedy" drugs "work." They speed up those slow neurons, giving the ADHD brain time to "stop and think," for example, before acting on impulse. Especially lacking in the ADHD brain, researchers say, is the neurotransmitter dopamine.
NIMH brain scans using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) also found physical abnormalities in both brain circuitry and shape. The brains of ADHD boys who were studied were abnormally symmetrical. Affected parts of the brain were the prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe just behind the forehead (the brain's command center), and two other areas that translate those commands into action. Those areas serve as, so to speak, the brain's steering wheel and brakes. "Brakes," especially, are what's lacking in the ADHD brain, researchers say, and this "deficit" results in the ADHD brain's inability to inhibit thoughts - such as distractions that interfere with focus.
Just why ADHD brains have this abnormal symmetry could, however, be related to normal genetic variation, so the MRI can't be used to diagnose ADHD. Researchers theorize the right brain's smaller size could also be related to birth trauma or prenatal factors. The researchers say, though, the results of these studies provide "markers" that can be used in treatment studies - that may hold promise for ADHD children and their families.
Carol Bogart blogs at http://carolbogart.blogspot.com/ and writes for Blogger News Network, http://www.bloggernews.net/. Contact her at 3bogart@sbcglobal.net.
ADHD neurons (brain image at right, below) less active, PET scan finds
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Comments
Oh yes, it is definitely real. I have a brother that suffers from adhd and it is more than an incorrct diagnosis. Thanks a lot for sharing this hub! I enjoyed it thoroughly!
One of the hardest things for the ADHD child to hear is that he or she is just using ADHD as an excuse. If those who are so quick to blame could trade brains for a day, perhaps they would try harder to be kind. -- Carol
People, especially parents with ADHD kids, who still doubt whether ADHD is for real should read this article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-ADHD-For-Real?&id=1170015Sad, how often the ADHD child is blamed for brain chemistry he/she was born with.
I agree with every thing you say i have it but i can controll it to a point of not bothering my family to death just the pill i have to take makes me feel different from every one else and its not made up i can tell when i did not take my pill i dont shut up i talk back i treat other ppl like crap its not fun trust me ADHD is real and i dont think befor i say
Poor impulse control, inability to read social cues (like when someone's eyes start to glaze over when you're talking too much), and having impaired "executive function" in the part of the brain that says "stop, think, consider the consequences," are hallmarks of ADHD. You are easily distracted, because your brain lacks the neurochemical filter that allows you to prioritize sound.
I have ADHD, too, as does my son.
Because a disability is "hidden" makes it no less real. When you're to a point that you're deciding what sort of career you might like, think about the kinds of things that you "hyperfocus" on now. You'll find your niche and can be very successful.
For me, it's been journalism. When I was a TV news reporter, I won two Emmys. School, however, could be a struggle, especially if I was bored. Back then, they didn't even know there was such a thing as ADHD.
Keep your chin up and good luck! -- Carol
my mother thinks ritalin is not a drug be cause it is helping me
Drugs that help are called medications. Insulin is a drug that helps diabetics. I'm glad Ritalin is working for you. I've been told there is a new drug called 'Attend' that doesn't have the side effects of amphetamines like Ritalin. The parent who told me about it thinks it's great.
CS Tan says:
2 years ago
I agree that some parents still do not want to believe that ADHD is not made-up but its for real. By refusing to accept this scientific fact, they are actually causing more harm to their ADHD children. ADHD can be treated to a significant extent and many people with ADHD have succeessfully dealt with it to become illustrious and famous personalities in their respective endeavours.