ADHD Research

[Updated Monthly - Last Updated on April 17, 2008]

Improvement Following ADHD Treatment Sustained In Most Children (July 23, 2007) -- Most children treated in a variety of ways for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder showed sustained improvement after three years, in a major follow-up study. Yet increased risk for behavioral ... > full story

Premature Or Low Birthweight Babies At Significantly Increased Risk Of Hyperactivity Disorder (June 5, 2006) -- Premature or low birthweight babies are up to three times as likely to become hyperactive, with low attention spans, suggests research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in ... > full story

Do Medications Help Young ADHD Drivers Ignore Real World Distractions? (May 3, 2007) — When a song on the radio or the cell phone on the car seat next to a young driver beckon, she may not resist the temptation to turn up the dial or take a call while maneuvering in traffic. Such distractions could lead to a car crash, especially for young drivers with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).As a group, young ADHD drivers are two to four times more likely to have a car accident than non-ADHD drivers. Scientists are aiming at improving those odds. > full story

Racing Neurons Control Whether We Stop Or Go; Research Offers Insight Into Cause Of ADHD (April 19, 2007) — In the children's game "red light green light," winners are able to stop, and take off running again, more quickly than their comrades. New research reveals that a similar race goes on in our brains, with impulse control being the big winner. > full story

Children With Asthma Often Suffer Developmental And Behavioral Problems (April 13, 2007) — Much of the research surrounding childhood asthma has sought new approaches to managing the disease. However, little was done to address other conditions that often appear along with asthma including depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). > full story

Prenatal Smoking Increases ADHD Risk In Some Children (April 11, 2007) — Past research has suggested that both genes and prenatal insults -- such as exposure to alcohol and nicotine -- can increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But the identified increases in risk have been very modest. Now, scientists has found that when those factors are studied together, risk of a severe type of ADHD greatly increases. > full story

Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder At Risk For Alcohol Problems (April 2, 2007) — Prior research has shown that children with ADHD can develop alcohol problems later in life. Two studies confirm this association, indicating that drinking problems begin around age 15. Parental alcoholism and family stress appear to add to the risk of children with ADHD developing alcohol problems themselves. > full story

Many Parents Want Distance Between Own Kids And Those With Mental Illness (March 21, 2007) — New research suggests that Americans are more likely to socially reject children with mental illness than they are those with physical illnesses such as asthma. > full story

High Dopamine Transporter Levels Not Correlated With ADHD (December 28, 2006) — Results from a brain-imaging study indicate that levels of a brain protein proposed as a diagnostic marker for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are not positively correlated with the disease. The results suggest that clinical measures of these dopamine transporter proteins should not be used as a basis for a diagnosis of ADHD. > full story

Many Children Discontinuing Use Of ADHD Medication (December 17, 2006) — Social stigma and feeling lifeless and/or alienated from one's peers are some of the reasons why children and adolescents stop taking prescription stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published in the Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing. > full story

Divorce Increases Risk Of Ritalin Use (June 5, 2007) -- Divorce puts children at higher risk of Ritalin use compared to kids whose parents stay together, says new research by a sociologist, who cautions that this doesn't necessarily mean that divorce is ... > full story

Popular ADHD Drug May Be Safe And Effective For Some Pre-schoolers, Study Finds (October 25, 2006) — A new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and five other medical centers concludes that carefully measured, low doses of methylphenidate (Ritalin) are safe and effective for attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers. Investigators warn, however, that three to five-year-olds appear more sensitive to the drug's side effects, which include irritability, insomnia and weight loss, than are older children with ADHD and require closer monitoring. > full story

Preschoolers With ADHD Improve With Low Doses Of Medication (October 17, 2006) — The first long-term, large-scale study designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of treating preschoolers who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder with methylphenidate has found that overall, low doses of this medication are effective and safe. However, the study found that children this age are more sensitive than older children to the medication's side effects and therefore should be closely monitored. > full

Not All Drugs Are Equal In Treating Teen Drivers With ADHD (September 7, 2006) — Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have found that teenage drivers with attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD) drive better when they took OROS methylphenidate (OROS MPH), a controlled-release stimulant, rather than extended release amphetamine salts (se-AMPH ER). The findings, which reinforce the use of OROS MPH to improve driving performance in teens with ADHD, will appear in the September issue of Pediatrics. > full story

Almost Half Of Kids With ADHD Are Not Being Treated, Study Finds (August 6, 2006) — In contrast to claims that children are being overmedicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that a high percentage of kids with ADHD are not receiving treatment. In fact, almost half of the children who might benefit from ADHD drugs were not getting them. > full story

Study Reveals How ADHD Drugs Work In Brain (June 26, 2006) — Although millions depend on medications such as Ritalin to quell symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), scientists have struggled to pinpoint how the drugs work in the brain. But new work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is now starting to clear up some of the mystery. > full story

Lifting The Curtain On How Ritalin Packs Its 1-2 Punch (May 30, 2006) — Methylphenidate (Ritalin) elevates norepinephrine levels in the brain to help focus attention and suppresses nerve signal transmissions in the sensory pathways to help block out extraneous stimuli. The study of rats helps explain how the amphetamine-like stimulant aids people with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders to improve their focus without increasing their motor activity, according to a study in the Journal of Neurophysiology. Little is known about how the drug produces its therapeutic effects. > full story

Study Examines Risk For Misuse Of ADHD Stimulant Medications (March 30, 2006) — A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital researchers has found that, while the great majority of young people with ADHD use their medications appropriately, a small percentage are likely to abuse or to sell prescribed stimulants. The report also identifies factors that may characterize those most likely to misuse their drugs and suggests potential strategies to reduce the risk. > full story

Delayed-release Stimulant Used To Treat ADHD May Be Less Subject To Abuse (March 2, 2006) — A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers has found that a delayed-release stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs. > full story