ADHD in the News 2024-10-03

Asking Eric: My mother said I was lazy and refused to have me tested

DEAR ERIC: Even though I started off school smart and curious, starting middle school, I did horribly. I couldn’t manage my time wisely. I couldn’t organize my thoughts, and it was paralyzing. They suggested I be tested for ADHD. I was able to mask any symptoms with a proctor standing over my shoulder, so I passed with flying colors.



Athletes’ ADHD, anxiety meds might increase heat stroke risk

On a hot day in spring 2021, as the Columbia College Koalas softball players in South Carolina left the field at the end of an inning, athletic trainer Kenya Moore noticed a disoriented player. The player complained of dizziness, shortness of breath and muscle tremors. Suspecting possible heat stroke, Moore said she put her in an ice bath and called 911. As the player recovered and Moore examined the circumstances leading up to the incident, one thing stood out: The athlete had just switched her ADHD medication.



Women With ADHD Demonstrate Similar Hyperactivity to Men With ADHD

Women and men with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrate similar hyperactivity levels, according to study results published in the Journal of Attention Disorders. Historically, ADHD has been viewed as a disorder predominantly affecting boys and men. However, emerging research findings have revealed similar ADHD prevalence among girls and women, who are often underdiagnosed and receive less frequent treatment.



Paris Hilton: Why ADHD Is My Superpower (Op-ed)

Growing up, I was always told that I was too energetic, too distracted, too talkative — just too everything. My mind was constantly racing, jumping from one thought to the next, like a pinball bouncing around inside my head or a Ferrari with bicycle brakes (a metaphor Dr. Edward Hallowell, MD once described to me). My constant need for stimulation, paired with a school system that failed to accommodate how I naturally learn, ultimately led to my time in the Troubled Teen Industry, which was apparently meant to “fix” me.



Investigational Med for Tourette Syndrome Promising

[Excerpt] The two key findings in this post hoc analysis were "first, that patients with a nonmotor diagnosis like depression or ADHD did not do any worse in terms of tic efficacy; and second, we didn't find any evidence that any of the nonmotor symptoms of Tourette's got worse with ecopipam," study investigators Donald Gilbert, MD, professor of pediatrics and neurology at University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, told Medscape Medical News.



Gut microbe imbalances could predict a child’s risk for autism, ADHD and speech disorders years before symptoms appear

[Excerpt] We are researchers who study the role the microbiome plays in a variety of conditions, such as mental illness, autoimmunity, obesity, preterm birth and others. In our recently published research on Swedish children, we found that microbes and the metabolites they produce in the guts of infants – both found in poop and cord blood – could help screen for a child’s risk of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.



California bans six artificial dyes in foods served at public schools

A new law just passed in California makes it the first state to tell public schools they may no longer serve foods that contain six artificial dyes linked to health and behavior problems among children.



Autistic people and those with ADHD are more likely to have eating disorders. Here’s why – and how this affects their treatment

More than 1.1 million Australians are estimated to be living with an eating disorder. Around one-third of these people are neurodivergent. So why are neurodivergent people, such as autistic people and those with ADHD, more likely to experience eating disorders than the broader population? And how does this impact their treatment?



ADHD could mask warning signs of alcohol dependency, rodent study suggests

New research raises concerns about the co-use of prescription stimulants and alcohol in adolescents with ADHD. The study, published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, found that adolescent rats exhibiting ADHD-like symptoms tend to be resistant to developing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, especially when alcohol is consumed alongside amphetamine. This resistance could obscure warning signs of alcohol dependency.



What to know about hyperfixation and depression

Many people associate hyperfixation with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A person with ADHD may also experience depression, possibly following a period of hyperfixation.