Medication Use ADD ADHD and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crashes

 Is there a relationship between medication use and a LOWER risk of accidents? 

Yes. 

Short term? Yes.

Long-term? Yes.

Men? Yes.

Women? Yes. 

Please take your medicines. 

Association Between Medication Use for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crashes

Question

Is the use of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication associated with a reduced risk of motor vehicle crashes in patients with the disorder?

Findings

In a national cohort study of 2 319 450 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the use of medication for the disorder was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of motor vehicle crashes in male and female patients.

Meaning

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication use may lower the risk of motor vehicle crashes, a prevalent and preventable cause of mortality and morbidity among patients with the disorder.

ADHD & Accidents Crashes Violations Suspensions in Motor Vehicles - New Data

 Do teens with ADHD have more accidents? More Moving Violations?

Yes. For Years,

Traffic Crashes, Violations, and Suspensions Among Young Drivers With ADHD

Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH,a,b Benjamin E. Yerys, PhD,c,d Kristina B. Metzger, PhD, MPH,a Meghan E. Carey, MS,a and Thomas J. Power, PhDb,d

Abstract

Methods: We identified patients of New Jersey primary care locations of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who were born in 1987-1997, were New Jersey residents, had their last primary care visit at age ≥12 years, and acquired a driver's license (N = 14 936). Electronic health records were linked to New Jersey's licensing, crash, and violation databases. ADHD diagnosis was based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes. We calculated monthly per-driver rates of crashes (at fault, alcohol related, nighttime, and with peers), violations, and suspensions. Adjusted rate ratios were estimated by using repeated-measures Poisson regression.

Objectives: To compare monthly rates of specific types of crashes, violations, and license suspensions over the first years of licensure for drivers with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Results: Crash rates were higher for drivers with ADHD regardless of licensing age and, in particular, during the first month of licensure (adjusted rate ratio: 1.62 [95% confidence interval: 1.18-2.23]). They also experienced higher rates of specific crash types: their 4-year rate of alcohol-related crashes was 2.1 times that of drivers without ADHD. Finally, drivers with ADHD had higher rates of moving violations (for speeding, seat belt nonuse, and electronic equipment use) and suspensions. In the first year of driving, the rate of alcohol and/or drug violations was 3.6 times higher for adolescents with ADHD.

Conclusions: Adolescents with ADHD are at particularly high crash risk in their initial months of licensure, and engagement in preventable risky driving behaviors may contribute to this elevated risk. Comprehensive preventive approaches that extend beyond current recommendations are critically needed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6564068/figure/fig2/?report=objectonly

TransCranial Electrical Stimulation - tDCS tACS - What is it?

What is Transcranial Electrical Stimulation? TES

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)?

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is a non-invasive, painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents to stimulate specific parts of the brain.

The therapy works by delivering a low-intensity electrical current to the part of the brain responsible for abnormal pain sensation. This constant, low-intensity current is passed through two electrodes placed over the head which modulates neuronal activity.

The treatment is not surgical and drug-free. 

There are two types of stimulation with tDCS: anodal and cathodal stimulation. Anodal stimulation acts to excite neuronal activity while cathodal stimulation inhibits or reduces neuronal activity.

Is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Effective?

Recent studies support the therapeutic potential of tDCS in patients with:

• Ataxia
• ADHD
• Autism
• Epilepsy
• COVID - Related Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Brain injury
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Disorders of Consciousness
• Dyslexia
• Spasticity
• Cerebral Palsy

In adults, it has been used for Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, traumatic spinal cord injury, depression, and other illnesses.

Similar but different therapies include:  TACS (alternating current)

TES treatments are complementary - that is, they are used after standard therapies have failed.

We use an FDA-approved device for this off-label use.  tDCS devices have not been approved by the FDA for this application.

Although tDCS is still an evolving form of brain stimulation, it has several advantages over other brain stimulation techniques. 

It is economical, non-invasive, minimally uncomfortable, and safe.

Call our office to learn more.

Diagnosing and Treating the Aging ADHD Brain

Inside the Aging ADHD Brain

The latest research on how the ADHD brain changes over time. Plus the differences among normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, early dementia, and some classic attention deficit symptoms, and why it is never too late to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD.

by Linda Roggli, PCC

Great article from ADDitude magazine outlining the diagnosing and treatment of ADHD in the adult brain. Discusses differences between ADHD, MCI, and dementia as well as milestones of aging (including menopause) on the ADHD brain. -JR

After more than 40 years of psychoanalysis,behavioral therapy, and bitter frustration, it was a 2006 TV talk show that finally pointed 63-year-old Zophia in the right direction.

“Everyone told me there was nothing wrong with me,” she said. “But I had such yearning, such anguish inside. I wanted to excel, but something was holding me back.” Zophia flipped on the TV one Saturday morning, and the host launched into a frank confession about her own ADHD. “The more I heard, the more I knew she was talking about me, too,” said Zophia.

She made an appointment with a local psychologist, who ordered a battery of eight one-hour tests. The conclusion was unambiguous: ADHD. “After I found out about ADHD, I thought, ‘Gee, Zophia, why didn’t you come up with that answer a long time ago?’”

For John Washbush, the road to diagnosis took seven decades. “For 70 years, I lived my life day-by-day in the dark, totally clueless,” he said. “I got the same instructions as everyone else, I went through the same motions as everyone else, but rarely did I get the same results.”

In his early 60s, he suspected he had ADHD, but it was still a long road to the official verdict. “I was diagnosed at 70 and took my first dose of Ritalin on my 72nd birthday,” he said. “I knew within 20 minutes that I was on a path to discovering the real me.”

Your Brain on Attention Deficit

Zophia and John are among a growing number of older adults who are being diagnosed with ADHD at 40, 50, 60, and beyond. Clinicians report a steady increase in requests for ADHD testing by bewildered yet determined adults who grew up in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, when ADHD was rarely recognized in children, let alone adults.

There is a lack of hard data on the aging ADHD population. Most researchers are reluctant to add the confounding factor of age (50+) to ADHD studies. A few pioneering studies from around the world indicate that the prevalence of ADHD among older adults (ages 45-85) is probably about 3 percent, slightly lower than the estimated 4.4 percent prevalence among adults up to age 44. The prevalence for children is estimated at 8 to 9 percent.

Like Zophia and John, most older ADHD adults have spent years trying to answer a question: “What’s wrong with me?” Most have been previously diagnosed with other psychological disorders, most frequently depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and learning difficulties. ADHD coexists with several other conditions, so the original diagnoses were probably accurate but were incomplete.

FULL ARTICLE HERE:

Children with ADHD and traffic accidents

Children with ADHD may be more likely to get into traffic accidents due to impulsivity.

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more likely to have accidents when crossing busy intersections on their bicycles because they're impulsive and have trouble paying attention, a new study suggests.

Researchers said it was known that these children were at increased risk, but the reasons were unclear.

"Crossing roads on a bicycle requires decision and action. What we found is children with ADHD have deficits in both areas," study corresponding author Molly Nikolas said in a University of Iowa news release. Nikolas is an assistant professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences.

Bicycle crashes are a leading cause of severe injuries in children. Each year, nearly 400,000 kids are treated in U.S. emergency departments for bicycle-related injuries, according to the study.

Using a lab-based stationary bicycle, researchers studied how 27 children with ADHD and 36 children without the disorder crossed busy intersections, shown by computer simulation. The children were between the ages of 10 and 14. None of those with ADHD was on medication at the time.

Overall, children crossed when there were similar-sized gaps between cars. But those with ADHD were less precise in timing when to enter the intersection and had less time to spare, according to the study in the December issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Moreover, after being exposed to heavy traffic with shorter gaps between cars, youngsters with ADHD had difficulty readjusting when traffic eased and gaps between cars widened. Rather than waiting for the wider gaps, the children with ADHD continued to choose shorter gaps, increasing their risk of an accident.

"The timing issues were more related to symptoms of inattention while the decisions about which gaps to cross were related to hyperactivity and impulsivity -- all core symptoms of ADHD," Nikolas said.

The best way to help children with ADHD cross busy intersections may be to teach them to look for longer gaps between cars, no matter how heavy the traffic, she said.

"Even if their timing remains off, if they have a big enough gap, they will be OK," Nikolas said. "If we can have some intervention or prevention strategies that focus on the decision-making, that may help compensate for the timing deficit."

Almost 6 million American children between the ages of 3 and 17 have ADHD, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more here

Study: Children with ADHD and congenital heart disease can take stimulants

According to a recent study, it is safe for children with both ADHD and congenital heart disease to take stimulant medication.

A new study finds that children with congenital heart disease and ADHD can take stimulant medications without fear of significant cardiovascular side effects.

In a study to be presented at a national meeting Oct. 4, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found no increased risk for death or changes in cardiac vital signs, such as blood pressure or heart rate, even for children with ADHD and severe heart conditions. They also found that when treated with stimulant medications, patients had significant improvements in ADHD symptoms as measured by standardized rating scales.

"Children with congenital heart disease are at high risk for ADHD, but fears about cardiovascular side effects, including sudden death, limit the use of stimulant medications," says Julia Anixt, MD, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's and senior author of the study. "This study indicates that stimulants are both effective and safe when prescribed with appropriate monitoring and in collaboration with the patient's cardiologist."

The study will be presented by Pon Trairatvorakul, MD, a fellow in the division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's, at the annual meeting of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics in Las Vegas.

The researchers studied 44 children between the ages of 6 and 18 seen in the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute Kindervelt Neurodevelopmental and Educational Clinic. They compared these patients to those with similar heart disease but who were not treated with stimulants. The researchers' next step is to study the effect of stimulant medications on electrocardiograms (EKGs), which measure electrical activity of the heart.

Since 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required labeling of stimulant medications to include a warning that they generally should not be used in children and adolescents with serious structural cardiac abnormalities, cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias. However, stimulants are the most effective medication to treat ADHD symptoms, and patient families, cardiologists, and developmental pediatricians must together weigh the risks and benefits of medication treatment options for each individual patient, according to Dr. Anixt.

Read more here

Melatonin use in children

This article discusses melatonin use in children.

What we do know: Supplemental melatonin can help children with sleep dysfunction (those who lie awake for hours at bedtime) fall asleep. However, melatonin only helps with sleep initiation (falling asleep) not staying asleep. So if you are dealing with wake ups during the night... melatonin is not the solution. Normal awakenings shift and change due to all sorts of developmental milestones and changes as children grow. Overnight awakenings will always be normal although how our children get back to sleep on their own changes our night of sleep dramatically!

What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a naturally-occurring hormone that our brains produce to help regulate sleep and wake cycles. People call it the "sleep hormone" because unlike the parts of body that drive wakefulness, melatonin drives sleepiness. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the late evening (around 8 p.m. for kids, around 10 p.m. for teens), remain high for most of the night, and then drop in the early morning a couple hours before we wake up. Light inhibits melatonin and affects how much melatonin your body produces. Hence why being outside in the light during the day with a newborn (especially the ones who want to party all night) or when switching time zones makes a lot of sense! Light from screens (Kindles, iPads, tablets, computers, TVs) inhibits melatonin from being released. Getting outside during the day helps teach your brain day vs. night -- an important strategy for anyone struggling with sleep.

The Melatonin Supplement
The melatonin supplement you find at your local drug store is synthetically produced in factories. Because it's a supplement and not a medicine it's not regulated by the FDA like medicines. Therefore inconsistency in dosing is possible (no one can say that one brand's 1-mg tablet is the same dose as another's). Potency varies by brand and even between different batches from the same manufacturer. Always avoid "natural" melatonin (derived from cow or pig brains) and purchase only the man-made synthetic supplement that is far more readily available.

Melatonin Dosing Recommendations
"There are no clear-cut dosage guidelines because neither melatonin nor any other medication or supplement is approved by the FDA for the purpose of treating insomnia in children," said sleep expert Dr. Maida Chen of Seattle Children's Hospital.

Typically you always want to use the lowest dose: 0.5mg or 1mg -- then consider increasing by 0.5mg every few days if your child isn't falling asleep within an hour of bedtime. While increasing dose, make sure you're also working on consistent bedtimes, policing screens in the bedroom, and working to get good exercise OUTSIDE during the day. Many children will respond to a dose 0.5mg or 1mg an hour or two prior to bedtime. Some children and teens with significant challenges falling asleep are often given doses as high as 3mg to 6mg with severe insomnia at bedtime but in my experience many children get the hypnotic effect at smaller doses. Talk with your child's physician about how to determine a dose if or when melatonin is being used and if it's not working, GET OFF OF IT. Not all children respond to the hypnotic effect of supplemental melatonin.

Timing: You want to give melatonin prior to bedtime to help with increasing sleepiness. Most physicians recommend giving about 1-2 hours prior to ideal bedtime when helping little children fall asleep. However, it does depend why and how you plan to use melatonin. Here's a GREAT on how melatonin works and when to administer from Dr. Craig Canapari -- a pediatric sleep expert at Yale.

Children With ADHD and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Children with ADHD and/or autism spectrum disorder are known to have challenges falling asleep. Studies with melatonin have been done in these populations of children. Dr. Chen explains:
"More trials of melatonin for sleep difficulties have been done in children with ADHD or ASD than studies for typically developing children. Evidence from these trials suggests that melatonin is safe and does shorten the length of time it takes to fall asleep. However, the effects are not generally overwhelming and not every child who takes melatonin shows sleep improvement. The studies mostly evaluate short-term use only." Most worries about long-term use and safety are speculative (based on studies in animals or adults) but without clarity from research it's always best to get kids off melatonin when you can.

Sleep matters. Good sleep is essential. But it's rare for a child to need meds.

Read more here

Study: Significant association between obesity and ADHD

A recent study showed a significant association between obesity and ADHD in adults and children.

Results from a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Psychiatry indicated a significant association between obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adults.

“The putative association between ADHD and obesity might seem paradoxical because, rather than being hyperactive, individuals with obesity are often described as ‘lazy.’ However, the impulsivity and inattention that characterize ADHD might lead to dysregulated eating patterns with consequent weight gain,” Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD, of the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. “The role of possible confounders, including low socioeconomic status and comorbid mental health conditions, in explaining the association between obesity and ADHD is still unclear. In addition, the role of age, gender, study setting, or study country is also uncertain.”

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 42 studies to assess the association between ADHD and obesity. The analysis included 728,136 study participants, of which 48,161 had ADHD.

Researchers found a significant association between obesity and ADHD among children (OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.05-1.37) and adults (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.32-1.81).

Pooled prevalence of obesity increased by approximately 70% for adults with ADHD compared with those without ADHD, and by approximately 40% for children with ADHD vs. those without ADHD.

The significant association between obesity and ADHD remained when limited to studies that adjusted for potential confounding factors, diagnosed ADHD by direct interview and directly measured height and weight.

Researchers also found a significant association between ADHD and overweight.

Individuals medicated for ADHD did not have a higher risk for obesity.

“We found meta-analytic evidence of a significant association between obesity/overweight and ADHD, regardless of possible confounders. Mediational effects and causal mechanisms underlying the association, as well as the long-term effects of ADHD medications on weight status in individuals with obesity and ADHD, deserve further attention because of their important public health implications,” the researchers concluded.”

Read more here

Autism may be covered by ADHD risk

According to a study, autism may be covered by ADHD in children.

Symptoms attributed to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may overshadow or mask autism spectrum disorder in very young children, a new study reveals.

This can create a significant delay in the diagnosis of autism. It took an average of three years longer to diagnose autism in children initially thought to have just ADHD, the researchers said.

That delay can make a big difference in the future of the child, said study author Dr. Amir Miodovnik, a developmental pediatrician at Boston Children's Hospital.

"It's been shown the earlier that you implement these therapies for autism, the better children do in terms of outcomes," Miodovnik said. "Three years is a significant amount of time for the kids to not be receiving therapy."

The study was published online Sept. 14 and will appear in the October print issue ofPediatrics.

Autism and ADHD are very different neurological conditions, but they share a number of symptoms, genetic factors and brain pathways, the study authors said in background information.

For example, children who are hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive could be diagnosed with ADHD, but similar symptoms also are found in kids with autism spectrum disorder, the study said.

To see whether an early diagnosis of ADHD would interfere with detection of autism, the researchers looked at data on nearly 1,500 children with autism drawn from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health.

In the survey, parents were asked whether their children had been diagnosed with ADHD or autism. They were also asked to provide the ages when they received their diagnosis. About 43 percent of the kids had been told they have both conditions, parents reported.

More than two out of every five kids diagnosed with both ADHD and autism had been diagnosed with ADHD first, the researchers found.

Most of those children initially diagnosed with ADHD -- about 81 percent -- wound up diagnosed with autism after age 6.

In fact, kids diagnosed first with ADHD were nearly 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism after age 6 compared to kids who only received a diagnosis of autism.

The children also were 30 times more likely to receive an autism diagnosis after age 6 when compared with kids who were diagnosed with ADHD and autism at the same time, or diagnosed initially with autism and later with ADHD.

These results indicate that doctors may be rushing to apply a diagnosis of ADHD at an age that's much too early, said Dr. Daniel Coury, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital and a professor of clinical pediatrics and psychiatry at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

"In fact, these children may have a neurodevelopmental problem that is going to change over the next few years, and will be much more apparent at 4 or 5 years than it is at 2," Coury said. "We don't usually make a diagnosis of ADHD in 3- and 4-year-old children. If we're making a diagnosis at that early age, maybe we should be thinking about a developmental disorder that is more common for that age group, like autism."

Miodovnik agreed, noting that in his study kids with autism were diagnosed with ADHD at around 5 years old on average, much younger than the national average of 7 years old for a typical ADHD diagnosis.

Coury said the findings line up with what he's seen in his practice.

"My personal clinical experience is that we see a fair number of children we evaluate for autism spectrum disorder at an older age who previously have had an ADHD diagnosis," he said. "There is a tendency that once a patient has a diagnosis, because they have a number of symptoms that fit that diagnosis, clinicians can develop a bit of tunnel vision where some other findings might be overlooked."

Parents who believe that a child younger than 5 has ADHD should take their child to a developmental pediatrician, rather than a family physician, to make sure that possible autism will not be overlooked, Miodovnik said.

"If you suspect ADHD in very young children, it's probably best for them to be evaluated by a specialist, partly to not miss a diagnosis of autism, and also because managing a child with ADHD can be complicated," he said.

Read more here

Study: Those with ongoing central pain may be linked to ADHD

A study indicates that those with central pain could also have ADHD.

More than a third of people with ongoing "central pain" may also have ADHD, a small study suggests.

Central pain stems from damage to the central nervous system -- the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. It differs from ongoing pain from bone or muscle conditions such as arthritis, or peripheral nerve pain like diabetic neuropathy.

Researcher Forest Tennant, MD, of Intractable Pain Management, presented the findings at the PAINWeek 2015 conference.

For the study, 45 people with chronic pain attending a treatment clinic completed a 16-item questionnaire. The questions asked whether the person had trouble with concentration, attention, distractibility, impulsivity, reading and retention, coordination, temper, and short-term memory.

A positive answer to five or more questions was considered to indicate ADHD

Results showed that 37.8% of the people met these criteria for the disorder.

Most people with centralized pain have an overactive autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for functions like breathing. This contributes to the ADHD (which is sometimes called ADD, or attention deficit disorder).

The finding might help explain why some people with pain have trouble with activities in their daily lives, Tennant says.

"For years, I've seen the same kind of ADD in these patients that you see in children -- they can't remember half the time, they can't concentrate," he says. "It's amazing how many of these patients actually quit reading or doing things, but they won't tell you."

But once they start taking medication for ADHD, "their pain gets better and they can remember and concentrate."

Tennant stressed that the findings [do not apply to] those with arthritis or neuropathic pain.

Jack LeFrock, MD, a pain specialist at Above and Beyond Pain Management and Laser Center, says Tennant's finding "makes sense."

"I agree with him; I think he's right on," he says.

Read more here

Children with issues in classroom may have sleep disorder

Children who show ADD or ADHD symptoms in the classroom may be experiencing a sleep disorder.

More parents are waking up to the fact that sleep disorders are more common than most of us think. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics and doctors continue to warn parents that sleep disorders can trick you into thinking you’re dealing with something else all together.

Dr. Akinyemi Ajayi, the Medical Director of Children’s Sleep Lab, says that when a child is tired and can’t focus in the classroom or they’re fidgeting to stay awake, a teacher sees that and may presume the child has ADD and ADHD.

Parents Garrett and Joey Myers had the same problem with their twin daughters Monica and Megan. The girls were never diagnosed with a learning disorder, and it was a journey of many doctor visits to figure out why there girls where having behavioral problems.

“It’s a never ending battle of what looks like eating disorder or anxiety or OCD,” said Garret Myers, the girls’ father.

As the parents visited one medical expert after the next, mom Joey Myers, tried to ask doctors if the twins could possibly have narcolepsy, like she was diagnosed with in adulthood. So finally, the Myers met Dr. Ajayi, who after a series of test, determined the twins did have narcolepsy.

The girls are now being treated at separate therapeutic boarding schools out of state. “They basically have to finish growing up,” said Garrett Myers. “They stopped and at 10-years old, they regressed.”

Now the parents are trying to educate others moms and dad to be vigilant if they feel their child might be experiencing problems because of a sleep disorder.

Read more here

Study: Mothers with chemical intolerance more likely to have child with autism or ADHD

A study indicates that mothers with chemical intolerances are more likely to have a child with autism or ADHD.

A new study from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that mothers with chemical intolerances are two to three times more likely than other women to have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The medical study was published in the July-August 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

People who are chemically intolerant often have serious reactions to common chemicals and some become too sick to carry out routine functions. Chemical intolerance affects about 10 percent to 30 percent of the U.S. population. Developmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit disorder affect one in six children in the United States.

The study included 282 mothers of children who had ASD and 258 mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD. The control group consisted of 154 mothers whose children had no developmental disorders.

The study was based on maternal responses to the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory, or QEESI, a 50-question survey used by physicians worldwide to diagnose chemical intolerance.

"We are most concerned about how vulnerable the children with ADHD and autism were to environmental exposures," said the primary author, Lynne P. Heilbrun, M.P.H., autism research coordinator for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. "Mothers reported that their children were significantly more sensitive to everyday exposures such as engine exhaust, gasoline, smoke, fragrances and cleaners than their neurotypical peers." The children reportedly also were more sensitive to adverse effects from infections, medications, chemicals, foods and allergens, the authors said.

The authors said chemically intolerant mothers were three times more likely to report having a child with ASD and 2.3 times more likely to have a child with ADHD. The study did not assess fathers.

Mothers in the study who had a child with ASD or ADHD reported that their children had more illnesses or symptoms associated with chemical intolerance than control mothers.

• The children with ADHD were 1.7 times more likely than control children (ASD were 4.9 times more likely) to have had multiple infections requiring prolonged use of antibiotics.
• Children with ADHD were twice as likely as control children (ASD were 1.6 times more likely) to have allergies.
• Children with ADHD were twice as likely (ASD were 3.5 times more likely) to have had nausea, headaches, dizziness or trouble breathing when exposed to smoke, nail polish remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners or cleaning agents than control children.
• Children with ADHD were twice as likely as controls (ASD were 4.8 times more likely) to have strong food preferences or cravings for cheese, chips, bread, pasta, rice, sugar, salt and chocolate.

"The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology issued a consensus statement in 2013 saying that there is sufficient evidence linking toxic exposures to adverse birth and developmental outcomes, calling for physicians to inform women to avoid specific environmental exposures even before conception. Studies that linked tobacco and alcohol to neurological disorders were available for decades before recommendations to avoid these became a major public health initiative. Physicians have the opportunity right now to become proactive in helping mothers protect their children from neurological disorders plaguing U.S. families," Heilbrun said.

The authors recommend that all mothers and pregnant women adopt preventive measures to avoid potentially harmful chemicals. Preventive measures include avoiding exposure to pesticides, solvents, combustion products, and chemicals used during construction and remodeling.

The authors urged doctors to use the QEESI to assess patients for potential chemical intolerance. Senior author Claudia S. Miller, M.D., professor emeritus at the Health Science Center and a visiting senior scientist for the Harvard School of Public Health, said, "It's important for everyone to know that doctors can use a readily available tool to identify more susceptible mothers and to suggest environmental interventions to help protect themselves and their developing children."

Read more here

Study: Fidgeting may help children with ADHD focus

A study claims that fidgeting may help children with ADHD focus on test taking.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often fidget, but new research suggests intense fidgeting may actually help them focus on the task at hand.

If the research bears out, the traditional advice to encourage these children to sit still may be misguided, said lead researcher Julie Schweitzer, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the MIND Institute of the University of California, Davis.

"Traditionally, it's recommended that kids stay still and not be disruptive," Schweitzer said.

But in her small study comparing 26 children with ADHD and 18 without the disorder, she found that when the children with ADHD were moving or fidgeting more intensely, they performed better on a test requiring attention.

Meanwhile, the movements of the children without ADHD did not affect test performance.

The study was published online June 11 in the journal Child Neuropsychology.

Why may fidgeting help the ADHD children?

"What I suspect is that kids with ADHD are moving to increase their attention by activating their arousal system," Schweitzer speculated. "Being aroused does increase attention."

The children all performed the same test, which required them to focus and to dismiss distractions. The children were asked to determine the direction of the middle arrow in a series of arrows. They needed to ignore the arrows surrounding the middle one.

The intensity of movement, but not its frequency, was linked with more correct answers in the children with ADHD. However, the research did not prove cause and effect, only a link or association.

The children in the study ranged in age from 10 to 17, and were 14 on average. Fifteen of the children with ADHD took stimulant medication, but stopped it for 24 hours before the testing.

Nearly 6 million children in the United States have a diagnosis of ADHD, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hyperactivity is a core symptom and one of the most observable hallmarks of the disorder, according to the researchers. The inability to sit still can cause challenges in school settings. Other symptoms include impulsivity and an inability to pay attention.

The theory of how fidgeting might help those with ADHD has been long talked about, said Brandon Korman, chief of neuropsychology at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. However, he believes the new research is one of the first studies to test the theory.

One limitation of the finding, however, was the small number of children who were involved, he said.

Korman also does not think the findings suggest fidgeting is always acceptable for these kids.

"It doesn't suggest we should let them fidget if it's disturbing the other kids," he said. He added that the researchers should look at the effect of physical activity before classwork, such as scheduling recess before academic tasks that require a lot of concentration.

Schweitzer said she would like to examine larger groups of children, to get a better idea of what is the best amount of movement for kids with ADHD.

"I'd love to tackle that in a future study, as it could guide parents and teachers," she said, "although I suspect it would be different on an individual basis, with some children needing to move more than others for the movement to improve their task performance."

Read more here

Attention issues may be helped by music therapy

Children with ADD, ADHD, and attention issues might be able to be helped by music therapy.

Focus can be a real struggle for people with learning disabilities like ADHD and ADD, but music is being found to be a powerful tool to train minds.

Middle school student Thomas Beckman has the developmental disability Down syndrome and uses music to help him focus.

He takes adapted music lessons at Rhythm & Rehab in Durham, where he gets to play his favorite instrument -- the drums -- as a form of neurologic music therapy.

"Music therapy is using music to accomplish non-musical goals," said Paula Scicluna, the founder and executive director of Rhythm & Rehab. "So, using music to improve speech skills, language, sensory motor skills, cognitive skills, social emotional skills."

At the beginning of his lesson, Thomas banged the drums loudly, looked around at his surroundings and was not focused. He was very distracted.

Encouraging him to keep in time, Scicluna patted the drums saying, "Together, together, together. Can you do it together?"

Thomas ignored instruction.

However, as the session progressed -- in a matter of minutes -- something clicked and his focus increased.

He and Scicluna then moved to the keyboard, and as they attempted to play a duet, he was more in tune to the rhythm and "making music." He intently glanced up at his song sheet and glanced down making sure he hit each key precisely.

"I don't expect him to leave here playing Chopin," said Donna Beckmann, Thomas' mother.

She said the benefits of playing music, such as hand-eye coordination, helps him in his everyday life.

"Whether he's writing something, whether he's helping in the kitchen and cutting up vegetables, it's all connected, she said.

Scicluna pointed out that the quality of Thomas' playing is not what matters, but rather he "continued to play and that he stayed with the activity until I told him to stop."

She said music helps organize the brain, and repetition is key.

"Once you add that rhythm and you add that structure, it helps actually organize the firing of the neurons. Focus, attention [and] impulse control -- all those behaviors that you see children with ADHD and ADD struggle with," Scicluna said. "That's how music therapy is helpful to those children."

So, while some may view Thomas' drumming as noise, he hears music.

"He gets a lot of feedback from heavy movements. So for him to be banging on the drums, that does something for him," his mother said. "The type of focus that this trains him in is to focus when he needs to. The therapy gives him tools to reach his goals."

Beckmann said the structure grounds him, and his instructors have high expectations.

"They know the potential. They know what these individuals are able to do, and they don't settle for less," she said. "That's why you see the phenomenal things my son can do."

Thomas was so focused, he continued to play the keyboard.

"To see him so focused and visually tracking and using the right fingers on the right keys," Scicluna said. "For those of us that don't have to really think about all of those skills independently, you think of all those skills that have to come together in order for that to happen, it's incredible."

Beckmann said, "It's working on so many different pieces of what he needs. I see a more whole child because of music therapy. It's music, it's fun."

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More than 13% of boys in America have ADHD

This article claims that over 13% of American boys have ADHD.

A total of 9.5% of children aged 4-17 in the US have at some point been diagnosed with ADHD, according to statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control. While prevalence statistics often rely on the administration of mental health screening tests, the latest statistics reflect actual diagnoses given to the children by physicians or mental health care providers. The CDC also identified significant trends based on gender and income levels.

The latest statistics came from the National Health Interview Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 2011-13, information was collected for 29,968 children aged 4–17. Respondents were asked, “Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that [sample child] had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD)?”

There were differences based on age, gender and income.

"For those aged 4–5, prevalence was 2.7%, 9.5% for those aged 6–11, and 11.8% for those aged 12–17," stated a CDC data brief. "13.3% of boys and 5.6% of girls aged 4–17 had ever been diagnosed with ADHD."

The ADHD rates were highest among children with public insurance at 11.7%, and lowest among uninsured children at 5.7%. Among children with private insurance, the rate was 8.6%.

Of families with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty threshold, 10.4% of children had been diagnosed with ADHD, compared with 8.8% of children in families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold.

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