3 Articles Regarding ADHD and Developmental Issues

TITLE #1

Article #1  Children May Not Actually ‘Grow Out’ Of ADHD After All

DESCRIPTION

Brain changes and memory problems tend to persist into adulthood.

Most of us, as professional Psychologists, have been led to believe that children grow out of ADHD naturally as they progress beyond childhood.   Now a new study points out that while many of the symptoms of ADHD disappear, there are long term changes into adulthood that can affect functioning.  A study examined young adults using fMRI and memory tests functions.  “What did they find? Regardless of whether or not the young adults still met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, nearly all showed reduced brain volume and poorer memory function compared to a control group of subjects who had never been diagnosed with the disorder.”  The results are summarized as “brain changes and memory problems tend to persist into adulthood.”

SOURCE

Huffington Post, August 31, 2015, by Carolyn Gregoire

Original Source:

Roman-Urrestarazu, A, and others, 2015 ,Brain structural deficits and working memory fMRI dysfunction in young adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in adolescence, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1-10.

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/children-may-not-grow-out-of-adhd_55e07f8ee4b0c818f6178e56?ir=Science%253Fncid%253Dnewsltushpmg00000003

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/px6834r

Link to Original:  http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-015-0755-8

TITLE #2

Article #2  Can Attention Deficit Drugs ‘Normalize’ a Child’s Brain?

DESCRIPTION

This article weighs in on the debate as to whether children with ADHD should be medicated — not simply to control behavior but also for long term neurological reasons. (see Article #1)   One position is that medications offer only short term effects that do not last beyond their usage and that families and children eventually give up on the pills.  The other position is that ADHD medications have a “neuroprotective” effect.  One practitioner believes that   “the pills  help “normalize” the function and structure of brains in children with A.D.H.D., so that, “over years, they turn out to look more like non-A.D.H.D. kids.”  Article #1 above points out that there are long term changes in brain function due to ADHD, and some practitioners in Article #2 argue that medications might ameliorate the neurological changes.  In actuality, there are not enough studies that demonstrate the long term positive effects of the medications as “neuroprotective” and more research needs to be performed is the final conclusion.

SOURCE

New York Times, February, 2, 2015, by Katherine Ellison

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/can-attention-deficit-drugs-normalize-a-childs-brain/

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/nmsruof

TITLE #3

Article #3  Is It Old Age, or A.D.H.D.?

DESCRIPTION

Differential diagnosis is an exercise in critical thinking in medicine, Psychiatry, and Psychology.  The article points out that a small percentage of older adults are misdiagnosed as having cognitive decline due to aging issues when, in fact, the problems may be due to long term undiagnosed ADHD and ADD.   This is especially true for adults who may have carried the diagnosis when young and for those who have had dysfunction (though undiagnosed) throughout their lives.   What is called for is a complete diagnostic examination by a specialist who is trained to look beyond aging types of problems.  “Once seen as a disorder affecting mainly children and young adults, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is increasingly understood to last throughout one’s lifetime.“  If ADHD or ADD are suspected, then short trials of medication can confirm the diagnosis since these conditions show a quick response to the meds.

SOURCE

New York Times, September 28, 2015, by Judith Berck

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/is-it-alzheimers-or-a-d-h-d/?ref=health

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/p9rphzg

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•These three articles permit discussion of ADD and ADHD in a developmental context of childhood, early adulthood, and later aging.
•For discussion:  What is ADD?  What is ADHD?  How is a diagnosis made for these disorders?  (focus on functional symptoms rather than organic signs)
•What are the symptoms in childhood, adulthood, and later aging adults?
•How does an fMRI aid diagnosis?
•What is the likely course of these disorders over time?  (The articles point out that it is a myth that individuals grow out of these disorders.)
•If time permits:  how do medications affect these disorders?