NIDA Research Uncovers The Neurobiology Of Dread May 11, 2006 Science In what is the first brain imaging study of dread, new research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has shown that people who experience substantial dread about an adverse experience can be biologically distinguished from those who can better tolerate the experience. The findings suggest that dread derives, in part, from the attention devoted to the expected physical response and is not simply a fear or anxiety reaction." "Continuing to use drugs despite the expectation of the practice's negative effects is a hallmark of addiction," says Dr. Volkow. "The results of this study form the foundation for future research to determine whether drug abusers exhibit disruption in the brain systems that process the anticipation of unpleasant consequences." (more on the story) Tracking the recovery of visuospatial attention deficits in mild traumatic brain injury University of Oregon The goal of the investigation was to probe the deficits in the alerting, orienting and executive components of visuospatial attention in individuals who have recently suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and to assess the rate and degree of recovery for each of these components over a month post-injury. The findings indicate that the regions of the brain associated with the orienting and executive components of visuospatial attention may be most susceptible to neural damage resulting from mTBI. Moreover, the lack of recovery in the executive component indicates that the degree and time course for recovery may be regionally specific. (abstract) Executive functions and ADHD in adults: evidence for selective effects on ADHD symptom domains. J Abnorm Psychol. Inattention is associated with slower responses, and hyperactivity-impulsivity with faster outputs. Symptoms of inattention-disorganization were uniquely related to executive functioning with hyperactivity-impulsivity controlled. Inattention was associated with slower response speed, and hyperactivity-impulsivity with faster output speed. (abstract) Functional plasticity or vulnerability after early brain injury? Pediatric 2005 Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common, acquired, childhood disability that may be used as a model to understand more completely the impact of early brain injury on both brain structure and day-to-day function. Contrary to previously held views of the "plasticity" of the young brain, recent research suggests that such early insults may have a profound impact on development. Findings support a "double-hazard" model for severe and early brain insults and add to the ongoing debate regarding cerebral plasticity, suggesting that, contrary to traditional views, young children who sustain severe TBI in early childhood or moderate or severe TBI in infancy may be particularly vulnerable to significant residual cognitive impairment. (abstract) Conditions That Mimic ADHD Psychiatrist are misdiagnosing many children with ADD and ADHD See real conditions that mimic behaviors often called ADD or ADHD. Article lists over 45 disorders and issues that can mimic ADD or ADHD: including: Auditory Processing Disorder Allergies Hyper/Hypo Thyroidism Toxins in the body For the complete article click here. Schools Can't Require ADHD Drugs U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill 407-12 barring schools from requiring hyperactive children to use drug treatments as a condition for attending classes. This bill was designed to curb reports of school officials telling parents that disruptive kids must begin drug treatment for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in order to attend school. What many teachers don’t realize is there are many underlying health conditions and learning differences often misdiagnosed as an subjective disorder like ADHD. A few common underlying health conditions and learning differences often misdiagnosed as ADHD are food allergies, hidden food sensitivities, preservatives & food dyes. Children are misdiagnosed because of hearing problems like middle ear infections or auditory processing disorder. For the complete article click here.

New Harris Poll On Public Perception Of FDA Shows That People Understand Systemic Problems At Drug Agency May 24, 2006 A Harris poll released found that 58 percent of 2,371 people surveyed last week thought that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does only a fair or poor job ensuring the safety and efficacy of new prescription drugs, a significantly worse assessment than as recently as two years ago. Adverse drug reactions cause 100,000 deaths and 1.5 million hospitalizations annually, making this one of the five leading causes of death in the United States. (more on the story) It's Official: TV Linked to Attention Deficit by Jean Lotus A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that watching videos as a toddler may lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in later life. TV watching "rewires" an infant’s brain, says Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis lead researcher and director of the Child Health Institute at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. The damage shows up at age 7 when children have difficulty paying attention in school. Quick scene shifts of video images become "normal," to a baby "when in fact, it’s decidedly not normal or natural." Christakis says. Exposing a baby’s developing brain to videos may overstimulate it, causing permanent changes in developing neural pathways. (complete story) Ritalin May Lead To Depression in Later Life January 06, 2005 In a study on rats by National Institutes of Health (NIH) and McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School found that rats showed evidence of dysfunctional brain reward systems and depressive-like behaviors in adulthood. The rats did not have ADHD and the study was not looking at Ritalin as a genuine treatment but what happens if ADHD is misdiagnosed or Ritalin prescribed inappropriately. Diagnosis of ADHD is a complex process as many children will exhibit some ADHD like behaviors some of the time. "Accurately diagnosing and identifying the correct treatment regimen for the disorder is essential, especially when considering health effects that can last through adulthood." - Lead researcher William Carlezon, Ph.D. Neurotoxicity in young adults 20 years after childhood exposure to lead: the Bunker Hill experience Occup Environ Med 1998;55:507–516 Significant adverse central and peripheral neurological effects were found in a group of young adults 20 years after childhood environmental exposure to lead when compared with non-exposed controls. The absence of a significant association between neurological outcomes and tibial bone lead concentration, and the presence of significant associations between neurological outcomes and exposure group may be due to either the magnitude of measurement uncertainty in K x-ray films relative to the actual tibial bone lead concentration in these young non-occupationally exposed subjects, or uncontrolled confounding of the exposure group. (complete study) Lead exposure through gestation-only caused long-term learning/memory deficits in young adult offspring Experimental Neurology 184 (2003) 489–495 This study looks at the effect of gestation-only Pb exposure on cognitive functions at maturation. The authors investigated the potential effects of three levels of Pb exposure (low, middle, and high Pb: lead acetate containing diets) at the gestational period on the spatial memory of young adult offspring. Results revealed that three levels of Pb exposure significantly impaired memory retrieval in male offspring, but only female offspring at low levels of Pb exposure showed impairment of memory retrieval. These results suggest that exposure to Pb during the gestational period is sufficient to cause long-term learning/memory deficits in young adult offspring. (complete study) Acupuncture Provides Benefits For Hypertension And Stroke May 12, 2006 Acupuncture is becoming more widely known as an alternative therapy for curbing high blood pressure as well as aiding those recovering from a stroke. In a study at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California Irvine conducted by Dr. John C. Longhurst, clinical studies of the effects of Acupuncture on Hypertensive rats were initiated. The results supported the link between endorphin release with decreased heart activity and lower blood pressure levels. Needles charged with low frequency electrical stimulation were also proven effective. The needles alter blood and hormone levels that effect brain activity and blood flow to portions of the brain related to other body parts damaged from Stroke. (complete story)

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