A pattern of symptomatic persistence in attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) beyond childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with a higher genetic risk variant load measured by polygenic risk scores (PRS), researchers reported in JAMA Psychiatry.1 Higher PRS for ADHD, like the presence of greater multimorbidity in some ADHD children, provided markers of greater persistence of…

Hi. I’m Benjamin Yerys, a child psychologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Children with autism have a secondary diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) anywhere from 30% to 50% of the time. This is a very high rate. We wanted to evaluate whether this was accurate and whether the tools we use in children with…

For many people, studying mindfulness can provide a tremendous sense of peace in a harried, overworked world. Focusing on the present moment can help you — and those around you — maintain calm and focus. You may also wonder how far mindful parenting can go toward helping your children. For instance, does mindful parenting help…

Psychologists are aware that personality can factor into mental health – for example, perfectionism leading to clinical depression and anxiety disorders ? but the relationship between certain personality traits and psychiatric illnesses isn’t entirely clear. A fascinating new study published in Nature Genetics on Dec. 5 takes this association a step further. The findings suggest…

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” warble the lyrics heard everywhere through the holiday season. But for kids with special health needs, the flashing lights, blaring music, crowded malls, social events and schedule changes can be overwhelming. Children with mental health issues or developmental and physical challenges such as autism, ADHD, sensory issues,…

Have you ever read a description of people with ADHD as having “high energy levels” and thought “if only”? You’re not alone. The stereotype goes something like this: ADHD equals hyperactivity and hyperactivity equals Energizer Bunny, right? The keen skeptic will notice, however, that this is not exactly the most scientific reasoning…

Anyone with ADHD knows there’s a stigma around it, but if you’re a girl with ADHD, that stigma is even worse. Since symptoms of ADHD manifest differently in girls and boys, Broadly points out the disorder often goes undiagnosed in girls because the classic hyperactivity that is typically associated with ADHD is missing. Worse, though,…

To examine benefits and harms, Wilson, the Yale researcher, conducted a biostatistic analysis…focusing on drugs used to treat lack of interest in sex among women, low testosterone in men, overactive bladder, and adult ADHD. Wilson started with the number-needed-to-treat (NNT), a cornerstone of clinical decision-making, which is used to calculate benefit. NNT is typically balanced…

Hyperactivity seems to be the result of not being able to focus one’s attention rather than the other way around. This was proposed in an article in PLOS ONE, written by researchers at Radboud university medical center and Radboud University. It seems to suggest that more attention should be given to the AD than to…

The College Board announced on Thursday that it would make it easier for students with disabilities to request test accommodations, and that it would provide, for the first time, testing supports to some English-language learners who take the SAT. The College Board and its competitor, ACT Inc., have increasingly faced criticism—and questions from the U.S.…

Hi. I am Dr Hansa Bhargava, a practicing pediatrician and medical editor with Medscape. Have you ever had a parent of a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ask about ways to treat it without medication? I seem to be getting this question more and more.

I’m talking about children with ADD, now more commonly referred to as ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Those born with this disorder require a lot of patience and understanding, but in the end, did you know that they can also turn out to be among the most successful individuals around because of (not in…