Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

You probably might not have noticed this while you were in your class, but you might have a classmate that was always hyper, got easily distracted, did not pay attention, and had difficulty controlling his/her behavior. Well maybe there might have been a reason for why they had this type of behavior. The behaviors described previously are some of the symptoms of someone who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  According to the National Institute of Mental Health website, the number of children being diagnosed with ADHD is rapidly increasing, especially boys who are four times likely to be diagnose with it than girls.  Scientists are unaware of what causes ADHD. They are not sure if it might be genetic, from environmental factors, or their diet like the theory of eating too much sugar. In the following video, it explains what ADHD is and describes the physical and chemical differences the brain has. So imagine having the brain of someone with ADHD they pay attention to everything and have four to five things going on in their minds at once. That is why they have trouble functioning in social and academic settings.

 I work with a lot of patients that are diagnosed with ADHD and I can immediately notice when they are on their medication and when they are not. When they are in their medication they look like zombies because they are zoned out and do not feel like doing anything. Supposedly the medication they take is to calm them and have a “focusing effect” which can help them improve their everyday life. In this video, it is being discussed if children should be medicated or not and if it’s the only effective treatment to use. This controversy had been questioned a lot because nowadays most physicians are prescribing medication like amphetamines (Adderall) and methylphenidate(Ritalin and Concerta) for the children diagnosed with ADHD, but how much is enough for the child. The medication method might not apply to all children because it might work and effect children differently. How do these prescribed medications affect the brain? They work by increasing the dopamine levels, in which dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with pleasure, movement and attention. The effects of the stimulant are done slowly and steady increases of dopamine, which is similar to how dopamine is naturally produced in the brain.

So what happens with the children when they grow up? In the following video it describes how it might affect them in adulthood if they are not treated early in childhood.