ADHD in the News 2021-02-11

Brain Connectivity Patterns Reliably Identify ADHD

Functional brain connectivity patterns are a stable biomarker of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research suggests. By applying a machine-learning approach to brain imaging data, investigators were able to identify with 99% accuracy the adult study participants who had been diagnosed with ADHD in childhood...The findings were published online December 17 in Frontiers of Psychology.



Midlife ADHD? Coping strategies that can help

When ADHD persists through early adulthood and on into middle age, it presents many of the same challenges it does in childhood: it’s hard to stay organized, start projects, stay on task, and meet deadlines. But now life is busier, and expectations from work and family often are even higher. Fortunately, there are lots of strategies that can help you navigate this time in your life.



For many, COVID reveals existing ADD/ADHD

If working or learning virtually has you a little down, unmotivated, maybe a bit forgetful and anxious, you’re far from alone. The pandemic has caused a lot of people to feel that way. But for others, the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns didn’t cause those mental health issues; it just revealed them...Bob Cattoi, the CEO of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD, said he’s definitely noticed an increase in families seeking more information about ADD and ADHD since the pandemic began.



Genetics-Based Statistical Approach Links ADHD With Childhood Obesity

Using a genetics-based statistical approach, researchers from the United Kingdom found attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to have a causal effect on childhood obesity and coronary artery disease. Below, researcher Evie Stergiakouli, PhD, describes the study approach, details of the findings, the significance of the results and possible future research. (video + transcript)



ADHD severity as a predictor of cognitive task performance in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In recent years, a number of studies have begun to explore the nature of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we examined the relationship between both symptoms of ADHD and symptoms of ASD on cognitive task performance in a sample of higher-functioning children and adolescents with ASD.



Polygenic Risk Scores Forecast Some ADHD Symptoms

A team, led by Isabella Vainieri, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, used ADHD samples to develop polygenic risk scores for ADHD to test whether genetic variants that contribute to ADHD also influence attention regulation and response inhibition, cognitive functions that show strong associations with ADHD.



“I Feel Like a Fraud Hiding in Plain Sight”

Adults with ADHD are particularly prone to experiencing the impostor syndrome, and not just in aspirational pursuits, but in many everyday roles, such as in a job, as a parent, or as a relationship partner. But why is this proneness to the impostor syndrome the case for adults with ADHD, and what can be done about it?



Stress and Lack of Sleep Can Cause Concussion-Like Symptoms, Study Shows

Many people may be going through life experiencing concussion-like symptoms—like headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating—without ever suffering an injury. In a new study, researchers found between 11% and 27% of college athletes with no history of recent concussions actually reported symptoms that met the criteria for post-concussion syndrome (PCS).



Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of ADHD Across the Lifespan

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in childhood worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of 7.2%.1 At least two-thirds of those diagnosed with ADHD as children will continue to experience symptoms into adulthood.2 In childhood and adolescence, boys are more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD...Untreated ADHD can cause significant consequences, such as impairments in school and work performance as well as relationship difficulties, with subsequent mental health sequelae.3