ADHD in the News 2018-01-11

ADHD in adults and kids can be managed with ‘pills and skills’

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects people at every stage of life, but it can be effectively treated with an approach often summed up this way: pills and skills. Medication can help people manage ADHD, but it doesn't eradicate it. And it is a tool that works best when people are also developing life skills.



Study Finds Possible Link Between ADHD Risk, Cholesterol Levels During Pregnancy

Scientists have found a possible link between maternal cholesterol levels and the risk of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, with boys being more susceptible to the effect than girls...Researchers used data from the Boston Birth Cohort, followed from birth up to age 15. The cohort is mostly urban, low income, and minority. The final analyses included 1479 mother-infant pairs: 303 children with ADHD, and 1176 neurotypical children.



ADHD Risk in Offspring of Fathers Taking SSRIs Before, At Conception

According to the results of a study published in Pediatrics, paternal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use was associated with a mildly increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring, regardless of whether SSRI use was 12 to 3 months before conception or during the 3 months before conception. The researchers hypothesize that this increased risk may be caused by underlying indications related to SSRI use.



ADHD: Could maternal depression be the cause?

In this article, we discuss new evidence in support of a significant link between depression during pregnancy and an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the child...In all, 1,779 Finnish mothers and their one child, born 2006–2010, were included in the study. Their assessment began at the 12th week of gestation, and the final assessment took place when the child was an average of 3.8 years old. The researchers' findings were recently published in the journal PLOS One.



Study: College Students Think ADHD Medications Can Boost Their Grades

Being in college can come with a lot of academic pressure, and students have been using Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) medications to deal with it. In a study published earlier this year in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers surveyed more than 7,300 college students across nine colleges who had never been diagnosed with ADHD.



Can Dogs Suffer From ADHD?

The more information that scientists uncover about the behavior of dogs, the clearer it is becoming that there is a lot of similarity between the behavior of young human children and canines. While the focus of most of the research has been on mental abilities shared by children and dogs, we are now learning that certain behavioral problems are also shared by young humans and canines. One of these possible behavior problems is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).