Among youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), declines in body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-sds) and height-sds were observed after 18 months of psychostimulant treatment, according to research published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. However, researchers advocate further studies after finding that correlations with dosage were weak and that declines in BMI…

When my psychiatrist first prescribed medication for my ADHD, I remember reading the side effects and asking him “this isn’t going to make my anxiety worse, is it?” His response was basically “we’ll just have to wait and see.” Just like coffee isn’t known to relax people, stimulants in general are recognized for their potential…

Starting June 1, Michigan doctors are now required to review a patient’s full history in the state prescriber registry, otherwise known as MAPS. This newest mandate is one of many legislative efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Dr. Lisa Lowery, chief of adolescent medicine at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, said these are tools they have…

Results of a prospective longitudinal cohort study published in Pediatrics suggest that long-term medication adherence among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is correlated with treatment acceptance and parent perception of medication need.

As a mother, I know firsthand that girls are less likely than boys to be diagnosed with ADHD and often handle the challenges differently…Girls are underdiagnosed or diagnosed at a later age because they often present with the inattentive type. Inattentiveness is many times not noticed by parents until children go to school and have…

“Yes, Lucas has ADHD.” It’s been five years since our doctor spoke those words. We’d suspected it since Lucas was in preschool, but the official diagnosis at age 7 changed the conversation. No more wondering. Now there were decisions to make. A future to consider. A truckload of panic to work through.

Researchers have identified three partially separable pathways leading to cognitive-neurophysiological impairments in adolescents and young adults with persistent ADHD—or ADHD first diagnosed in childhood, as detailed in a recent study in the Journal of Attention Disorder.

Berkeley Unified has taken an unusually ambitious approach to serving students with special needs. Has the district done enough to ensure its success? In a special two-part series, Berkeleyside is examining BUSD’s special-education model, as the district evaluates its own program and prepares for departmental changes.

It has been known among psychiatrists and other medical professionals that taking antipsychotic drugs makes younger patients prone to gaining weight. However, a recent study has revealed that such medications also put them at a higher risk of becoming diabetic. These are the same drugs used to treat children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder…

Poor sleep habits have been linked to problems like depression and anxiety, increased risk for heart disease and cancer, memory issues, reduced immune system, and weight gain. It’s no wonder sleep issues account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year. That doesn’t even include indirect costs due to lost productivity.

Like countless companies in the Boston area, Akili is in the midst of the long, drawn-out and a little nerve-wracking process of submitting its lead product to the FDA for approval. But unlike the challenges facing other pharma giants and biotech startups, Akili’s product is not a pill, an injection, a salve or a balm.…

How should you treat someone with ADHD? Really, just the way you’d treat anyone else – with respect and empathy. Don’t be a jerk and you’ve already done 90 percent of the hard work! But if you want to go the extra mile in being sensitive to the challenges of your friend, partner or coworker…