Exposure to small amounts of lead may contribute to ADHD symptoms in children who have a particular gene mutation, according to new research. The scientists do not purport that lead is the only cause of ADHD symptoms, nor does the research indicate that lead exposure will guarantee an ADHD diagnosis; rather, the study demonstrates that environmental pollutants, such as lead, do play a role in the explanation of ADHD.

Going by how ADHD is sometimes represented in the media, a reasonable person could end up with the impression that people with ADHD simply did not exist until about 1990. Of course, that’s not the case, and the condition we now call “ADHD” has been around since long before modern medicine, begging the question: what was it like having ADHD in centuries past, and how did society view people with ADHD?

Your boss may have ADHD. How are you going to manage the relationship?...The purpose of this piece is to provide you with practical suggestions for managing your ADHD boss so you, your boss, and your organization emerge as triple winners.

The scholarship program is for legal residents of the United States who are under the care of a licensed health care professional for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and are accepted to or enrolled in undergraduate programs at accredited colleges, universities, trade schools, technical schools, or vocational schools located in the US. The Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship by Shire awards each recipient $2,000 in tuition assistance and one year of ADHD coaching services...The deadline to apply is March 9, 2016.

Each year since 1975, a survey called Monitoring the Future (MTF) has peeked into the lives of U.S. youth to see what they really think about drugs and alcohol and, more crucially, what they’re doing with them...According to the 2015 survey, which queried close to 45,000 students in eighth, 10th and12th grades, drug use is either down or stable virtually across the board, tobacco use is plummeting, and underage drinking continues its decline.

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers are determining whether an extended-release medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can improve highway safety and help prevent accidents – especially during the hours when drivers' risk of crashing is greatest."

In 2011, approximately 6.4 million children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to the CDC, which predicts that number will continue to rise in the coming years. Here, Healio.com/Family Medicine presents the latest news and research on ADHD that primary care clinicians should know about.