A study out this week in the Journal of Attention Disorders suggests that an approach to ADHD emphasizing healthy living may significantly improve symptoms. Since ADHD undermines executive function, the skills we need to plan and sustain routines, it’s no surprise that it affects sleep, nutrition, and exercise, as well as pushing kids towards an…

Youth who take Ritalin, Adderall or other stimulant medications for ADHD over an extended period of time early in life are no more at risk for substance abuse in later adolescence than teens without ADHD, according to a new study.

Let me give you two pictures of ADHD. The first is of a disorder that’s basically about being a little more scattered than usual…The second is of a disorder that changes every aspect of your life. It makes you less likely to graduate school, it sabotages your career, it messes with your relationships, and it…

These days, more and more researchers recognize the necessity of studying ADHD beyond childhood and adolescence. If so many children live with ADHD, why do so few adults have the diagnosis? Can ADHD, much like certain forms of epilepsy, be outgrown? Or does the damage associated with ADHD stick around for the long term despite…

Helping children with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bring their symptoms under control often involves elaborate school plans and accommodations, time-consuming behavior therapy and stimulant drugs…Researcher Kathleen Holton, a behavioral neuroscientist at American University, suggests in a newly published study in the Journal of Attention Disorders that a “healthy lifestyle” may also make a difference.

Use of methylphenidate in children and young people with ADHD is associated with a slightly increased risk of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) shortly after the start of treatment, suggests new research.

A new study conducted at Yale shows that early exposure to nicotine can change a baby’s brain chemistry. This can lead to behavioral changes, as well as the development of disorders like attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), addiction, and conduct disorder.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for kids that young, the first line of treatment is something called parent behavior training, which teaches parents how to help their children act in socially appropriate ways and learn. Only after that fails should children try stimulant drugs. Yet studies by the CDC of employer-based insurance and Medicaid…

Examining the retina may aid in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research shows. Confirming prior work, researchers observed that patients with untreated ADHD have elevated “background noise” on pattern electroretinography (PERG) compared with healthy controls. They now report that the elevated noise normalizes with treatment for ADHD, with PERG patterns on par with…

Some people equate ‘treatment for ADHD’ with ‘medication’, yet research clearly shows that even though medication can help many with their ADHD symptoms (not all), medication alone is not as good as it gets. As treatment for ADHD is somewhat personal – i.e. the same things don’t work for everyone – it’s helpful to use…

Many children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) have a hard time keeping track of their assignments, after-school activities, doctor’s appointments, and other daily tasks and commitments. Parents, of course, often take on the responsibility of reminding them about these things and making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. While that certainly helps in…

Teenagers need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night to be at their best, but many fall short of getting that amount consistently. Lack of sleep can affect attention, mood and daily functioning in any teen. But the consequences may be magnified in teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Unfortunately, sleep problems are very…