ADHD in the News 2019-04-18
More screen time linked to higher risk of ADHD in preschool-aged children: Study
A new study out of the University of Alberta has found that by the age of 5, children who spent two hours or more looking at a screen each day were 7.7 times more likely to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when compared to children who spent 30 minutes or less each day on a screen.
Does sugar make kids hyper? That’s largely a myth
"If you look at the peer-reviewed evidence, we cannot say sugar absolutely makes kids hyper; however, you can't discount that sugar may have a slight effect" on behavior, said Kristi L. King, senior pediatric dietitian at Texas Children's Hospital and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Choosing Medications for ADHD: Q&A with Anne Buchanan, DO
Dr. Buchanan: Most child psychiatrists, including myself, consider stimulants first-line. I view alpha-agonists as second-line, or sometimes I use them as augmenters to a stimulant, such as when we see only a partial response from a stimulant or when we are limited in dosing due to side effects. Agents such as Strattera (atomoxetine) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) are generally third-line.
Q&A: High energy, lack of focus don’t necessarily mean your child has ADHD
Dear Mayo Clinic: As the mom of an elementary schoolboy, I hear a lot of talk about ADHD. But what is it exactly? How do you tell the difference between a kid who just has a ton of energy and one who has a problem that needs to be addressed? Are there things that put a child at risk for ADHD?
UC Davis to study whether virtual reality can help kids with ADHD navigate reality
A study by the UC Davis Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute will test whether VR technology can help kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder reduce their sensitivity to distractions, according to a Tuesday press release.
A Media Avalanche is Burying Our Attention Spans
The vast and growing volume of diversions that pepper our modern world appears to be taking a toll on our attention spans as people hop to the next trending topic faster and faster, European researchers report this week...The findings, published Monday in the research journal Nature Communications, were the result of nearly 2 years of work by Lehmann and colleagues in Germany and Ireland.
Antipsychotics and Unexpected Death in Children
The off-label use of high-dose antipsychotics for conditions such as attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to significantly increase the risk of unexpected death in children and young adults, according to a recent retrospective study.