A new comprehensive analysis suggests that maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy is associated with a slightly elevated likelihood of the child receiving a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research indicates that this statistical link is stronger when antibiotics are administered during the second or third trimesters. These findings were published recently in the…

For decades, clinicians have wrestled with a thorny question: Do antidepressants taken during pregnancy increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children? Or do those risks stem from the underlying psychiatric illness itself? A comprehensive new review in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests the answer is more complicated (and, at the same time, more…

TOPLINE: Early breastfeeding, particularly during the first 4 months of life, was associated with fewer emotional and behavioural problems in children at the age of 4 years. Children breastfed for this duration had reduced internalising and externalising problems, aggressive behaviour, and symptoms related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No additional benefit…

In an NIH-funded study led by researchers from Mass General Brigham, children with more adverse prenatal exposures (APEs) showed higher rates of behavior problems that persisted into mid-adolescence, faster cortical thinning across multiple brain regions, and more depressive symptoms than children with fewer APEs. The researchers’ results are published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Key Takeaways: A large cohort study showed no association between use of acid-suppressant medications in pregnancy and neuropsychiatric outcomes in offspring after controlling for familial factors. Initial analyses showed “modest” increases in risk for these conditions, although absolute risks were still low. However, sibling-control analyses showed no such association, suggesting previous observations, “reflect residual confounding,”…

Ritalin and Adderall don’t act on the brain’s attention circuitry, a study found.

In two newly published studies, researchers at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) investigated how family dogs’ ADHD-like traits relate to their learning and self-control. Dogs resemble humans in many ways—even traits similar to human Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can naturally appear in them and can be assessed through validated questionnaires developed by the…

A judge found the use of the term “disorganised” to refer to a colleague counts as harassment as it could “undermine” a colleague and “violate” their dignity. It comes after Nicole Hogger, a PR account manager, claimed she was treated unfairly following her ADHD diagnosis. She argued that her employer was responsible for disability harassment,…

In brief: A new device consists of two microphones strapped to the wrists, which gather sounds produced by the hands and channel enhanced audio to earbuds. In experiments, participants who used the device reported a higher level of mindfulness. They also spent more time on their activities and showed more trial-and-error behaviors. The researchers are…

Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed analysis to date of how genes influence mental illness. The study, led by University of Colorado Boulder and Mass General Brigham researchers, could inform efforts to improve the way psychological disorders are diagnosed and provide insight for…

Researchers have identified specific coupled patterns of brain activity and gene expression that help explain impulsive behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. By analyzing these two distinct types of biological data together, the study demonstrates that the combination predicts behavioral symptoms more accurately than looking at either brain scans or genetic information in…

A recent study has identified a potential brain-based explanation for the connection between future-oriented thinking and the characteristics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The research suggests that the strength of communication between specific brain networks is linked to a person’s ability to plan for the future, which in turn is associated with the severity of…