ADHD Research Studies

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8
Oct 10

Natural Cure for ADD – Exercise

I’m not sure if we got on someone’s radar somehow, or if we are showing up in certain search results, but I have gotten an increasing number of comments and emails regarding exercise as a cure for ADD.

Let me start by saying that I am a proponent of alternative treatments for ADD, if you can find one that works for you. I am skeptical that any one little change to your lifestyle will result in a cure for ADHD in adults or children. In fact, if some little adjustment to how you go about your daily life “cures your ADD”, I would question how legitimate your diagnosis was in the first place.

ADD is not some little nitpicky, attitude adjustment waiting to happen. If you believe differently, you are in the wrong place.

That being said, let me also point out that exercise has been shown to have a beneficial effect on attention deficit disorder. Of course, it has been shown to have a beneficial effect on heart disease, depression, sleeping problems, fibromyalgia, and just about everything else that medical science has a name for. In fact, at this point, it is probably a waste of money to study whether exercise is helpful for medical conditions, because I think everyone with or without a medical degree or PhD can see a pattern here.

Of course, being helpful is not the same thing as a cure. For example, if you have heart disease and embark upon a medically sound exercise regimen, that is going to be very helpful, but you are fool if you have serious heart disease and you are not also taking prescription medications that can make an even bigger difference.

Likewise, while aerobic exercise might improve your ADD symptoms substantially, if it is not enough, then you should also avail yourself to other possible ADD treatments, alternative or otherwise, although you would be wise to continue exercising as well.

If you want a stronger endorsement of exercise as a cure-all for ADD or ADHD, you’re going to have to find someone trying to sell a book or an expensive, herbal supplement, or something, because I know that while exercise always makes me feel better in the long run, and does indeed help my attention issues somewhat, it is not enough to “cure” my ADHD.

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4
Oct 10

ADD Defective Genes?

A recent study (and you know how you should NEVER read too much into that) suggests that there MAY be a genetic basis for attention deficit disorder.

British researchers compared the genomes of 366 white British children with ADHD to 1,000 similar children without ADD. The idea is that if there are enough consistent differences among the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder versus those who do not have ADD, then there is a chance that those genetic differences are either the cause of ADD or are indicators of a higher probability of developing ADHD.

Remember that genetic has proven to be incredibly complicated and even the simplest things like what color your eyes are turn out to be influenced by multiple genes in various locations. These genes often interact with other genes in order to actually affect the development of a human being.

In other words, you might not be able to have blond hair without a certain gene, but just because you have it, does not mean that you will get blond hair. It may depend on whether or not you have other genes and whether or not those genes are influenced by even more genes.

That being said, researchers determined that the “normal” population of children had “deleted or doubled chromosomes” 7 percent of the time, while in the children with ADD population, they detected the same thing 14 percent of the time. Additionally, researchers determined that children with learning disabilities had the same anomaly 36 percent of the time, although it does not say how many of those kids came from which set.

Obviously, this study in now way “proves” anything, although the numbers are certainly disparate enough that scientists will be looking at this line of thinking in future research studies.

Until then, this is just another of many possibilities, although it does make at least some sense considering that the prevailing wisdom current suggests that ADHD is inherited or at least influenced by heredity. In order for that to be the case, there would eventually need to be a biological or genetic determiner.

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11
May 10

Latest ADHD Research News Updates

A couple of interesting updates in the world of attention deficit disorder research. Of course, ADD is technically known by its formal medical name of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but people like to use both terms.

The first ADHD study comes from Spanish researchers who scanned the brains of 42 children with ADHD and 42 children without ADHD (the control group). Their results were that kids with ADHD had a smaller ventral striatum, particularly on the right side. If you are wondering, the ventral striatum includes the nucleus accumbens. That still isn’t helping, I’m sure. As it turns out the nucleus accumbens maintain a person’s level of motivation when they start a task and continues to maintain that motivation until the task is completed.

That seems to be a pretty precise understanding of brain function and anatomy, but if accurate, makes some sense. This study also gives additional weight to a hypothesis about the cause of ADHD and origin of ADD symptoms that says that attention deficit disorders are primarily caused by different brain structures or functions that impede the usual motivation and reward pathways.

This is obviously a very small study. No major conclusions can be drawn from the data presented as to ADHD’s cause or treatment of ADD symptoms. However, these small initial research studies like this one are an important step in both gaining enough scientific and medical credibility for the hypothesis that further research will be green-lighted by both government agencies and educational institutions and research facilities. They also play an important role in obtaining funding for larger research studies.

ADHD research like this recent study build the groundwork for the case that this isn’t just some wild guess about how ADD works and where ADHD comes from, but rather a sound hypothesis grounded in hard data that requires further testing. Put together with other ADD research recently that have come to similar preliminary conclusions, and this may just be the next major research path into the cause of ADHD in children and adults.

As always, great ADHD tips are available here, as well as ADD organizational tools and the elusive ADHD planner.

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15
Apr 10

Nature Relieves ADHD Symptoms – All Natural "Cure"

natural-adhd-cure-walk-nature-park Recently, we took a quick look at some of the alternative herbal ADHD treatments available. This reminded me to write about another natural ADD treatment research finding that I have seen. A research study about ADHD in children published in August, 2008 concluded that reducing attention deficit symptoms in children was, literally, a walk in the park.

Can ADD Be Cured By Nature?

I have seen this study referenced in numerous places. This medical research into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is titled Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park on the National Institute of Health PubMed website. The study suggests that exposure to nature, or as the researchers like to term it, “doses of nature,” might actually help reduce the symptoms of ADD in children. If so, going for a walk might be a really great addition to the arsenal of ADHD tips and tricks.

It is important to note that this research was a very small, single-blind, experiment. Extrapolating its conclusions to the general population of attention deficit disorder people is a stretch. However, there are some interesting findings generated by the research which suggest a possible, free natural treatment for ADHD in children. Similar affects might be found in this natural treatment for ADHD for adults as well.

Researchers studied 17 children aged 7 to 12 years old, who were diagnosed with ADHD. Each child was exposed to three different environments. For each environment, each child was led on the same path for a 20-minute walk. The three environments were:

  • a city park
  • urban “park” with no trees or grass
  • urban pedestrian area

Researchers note that both urban areas are “well-kept” which basically means that no one went for a walk through a dark alley or across a debris filled lot.

The effects on the children’s concentration after the walk through the park were “substantial.”

In fact, the researchers noted that the improvements in the ADHD scoring method used (Cohen’s) were in line with the improvements observed for taking methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin.

In other words, a walk in the park improved these particular children’s concentration just as well as taking a dose of Ritalin would.

Scientists noted that similar results were NOT seen after the walks in the urban park setting, implying that an open area is not the helpful factor, but rather the plants, grass, and trees in the city park. Jumping ahead, one can draw the conclusion that exposure to nature improves ADHD concentration symptoms in children with ADD.

If we’re going to jump that far ahead, we might as well jump all the way to the conclusion that being in nature helps people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as much a prescription drugs. In fact, for concerned parents looking for a way to help their child’s ADD just enough to help improve their life with a natural ADHD treatment, this might be the first place to start.

Obviously, that is not a fully sound conclusion to take, but it does suggest an idea for personal testing. Try going for a walk in a nature area or park and seeing what, if any, affect it has on your ADHD symptoms. If you do try it, please drop by and share a comment.

To replicate what the researchers did, go for a 20-minute walk in an open area, preferably one with several trees and a natural ground. The park used in the study was grassy, so you can start there, but it might not be necessary.

Does nature seem to improve your ADHD? Have you ever tried going for a walk before a big test or important meeting as a way to improve your focus?