Participating in after-school activities may help young girls overcome attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder to some degree, according to a new study from the University of Montreal. The researchers found that girls who are involved in sports or extracurriculars show improved behavior and attentiveness in early adolescence. The benefits, however, do not seem to be as pronounced…

“Smart pills” and other dietary supplements marketed to boost brain function contained potentially dangerous combinations and doses of drugs not approved by the FDA, researchers found. Five of these drugs were found in 10 so-called “nootropic” or “cognitive enhancer” supplements tested, reported Pieter Cohen, MD, of Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, and colleagues in Neurology:…

Before considering alternative treatments, you should speak to your doctor to determine what options are best. Here’s what you need to know about therapy and supplements for ADHD.  

A team, led by Francien M. Kok, MSc, Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, examined the sex differences in prescription rates and efficacy of pharmacotherapy treatment in female ADHD patients, while identifying potential gaps in the scientific knowledge…The study, “The female side of pharmacotherapy for ADHD—A systematic literature review,” was published online…

Fidget spinners were a fad for children for a short period. From the classroom to the kitchen table, they were everywhere. For many parents and teachers, they seem to be a distraction; however, as those with disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they proved beneficial. So let’s explore how kids with ADHD can…

An online citizen science project is recruiting 30,000 volunteers to assess whether exercises to improve memory and attention are valid—and if so, for whom…The study will use a common set of assessment measures to evaluate potential training gains, and it will focus on individual differences. Anyone older than 18 can join our study and help…

To gain more insight, our parent company SHE Media conducted this survey…The most staggering statistic from the survey is in relation to the children’s age of diagnosis — our survey found that 88 percent of children are diagnosed by the age of 10.

Children diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate heterogeneous writing skills that are generally lower than their typically developing peers, similar to children with attention difficulties such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recently, researchers have found children with ASD spend less time engaging in writing tasks compared to other children. However, previous studies have…

In the latest episode of DocTalk, Theresa Cerulli, MD, a psychiatrist in North Andover, Massachusetts and a lecturer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discusses just how difficult this school year might be for students suffering from ADHD. (Podcast)

Vuori et al (10.1542/peds.2019-4046) evaluated whether there is an association between birth month and initiation of ADHD medications in children enrolled in the Finnish school system…The authors conclude that age immaturity relative to the age cutoff for starting the school year increases the likelihood of ADHD medication use in those children with later birthdays—or does…

A combination of medication and behavioral treatments may benefit multiplex families where both children and their mothers have ADHD, according to study results published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry…In the current study, the investigators sought to compare parental treatment with lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX; Vyvanse, Shire Development) with behavioral parent training (BPT) among 35 mothers who…

Researchers have shown there may be key genetic differences in the causes of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between African Americans and people of European ancestry, which may play an important part in how patients of different ethnic backgrounds respond to treatments for this condition.