Well, it seems that the new frontier in ADHD medication relates to how nicotine receptors can improve concentration.

Currently, there are the stimulant medicines for ADHD (like Concerta, Vyvanse, Adderall, etc), and there is one non-stimulant approved for ADHD (Strattera).

New research is investigating medicines which work on the nicotinic receptors – hoping that these medicines will improve concentration, and become another non-stimulant option for ADD/ADHD.

There are two recent references for this:

1) ABT-894: This is a compound which is in early trials. It was being studied for chronic pain – though it was not helpful for that clinical population. It was also tested in almost 200 adults with ADD – and found to be helpful. More research is needed to see if it could be approved for ADD/ADHD, though this looks promising -and exciting if we could get a new medicine with a completely different mechanism of action.
You can read about ABT 894 for ADHD here.

2) Varenicline: This is also a medicine which is a non-stimulant. It is used to treat nicotine dependence. There was a case report published suggesting that this medicine may help Adult ADD. As one case report -this does not constitute very strong research evidence – but nonetheless, it may be indicating a possible treatment – which merits further research. You can read the case report here. Take note of the scientific references which are written up at the bottom of the case report.

These reports suggest that new non-stimulant medicines which focus on the nicotine receptors in the brain may provide great results in the coming future. Watch this blog for further updates over time.

DO NOT consider this a justification for continuing to smoke. Smoking is very negative for your health – and will not help you over time. Work with your doctor to find the right treatment for you – and just realize that in a few years – there may be new options to consider.

Please share your thoughts and comments below.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Nicotine, Smoking, Vyvanse, Adderall, Varenicline, Medication

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

Contrary to some earlier findings, the results of a new study reveal that the most common medications for ADD/ADHD – Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta – do not cause genetic damage in children.

The research, conducted by the National Institutes of Health and Duke University, studied 63 children in all, ages ranging from six to 12 years of age. Each met the full criteria diagnosis for ADHD. None, however, had previously been treated with prescription stimulant medications.

The students were divided into two groups. Some of the students were treated with Ritalin LA or Concerta; the other group took Adderall. Each child’s blood was sampled prior to the administering of the medication and again after three months of use. Forty-seven students actually completed the study.

The researchers failed to discover any significant genetic differences between these two groups. Each, moreover, responded well to the medication they were given.

The co-author of the study Kristine L. Witt cautioned that while this is good news for parents, the study didn’t necessarily provide “final proof” that stimulants which treated ADHD don’t do genetic damage.

The results, though, certainly bolster the “growing body of evidence that therapeutic levels of these medications do not damage chromosomes,” according to Dr. Donald R. Mattison.

The study was published on the online version of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) funded the study. Both of these organizations are part of the National Institutes of Health. The summary of the study can be read here.

This study helps to establish one aspect of the safety of medication for ADD and ADHD.
The best approach to safety for ADHD medication, is to know as much as possible. You can learn all that you need to know with my free report, and ADHD Medication Mastery Course, by visiting here: ADHD Medication Mastery.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

p.s. please leave your comments below

Technorati Tags: Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin LA, ADHD, Medication, NIMH

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

Could it be that in addition to the differences in how the brains of those with ADD/ADHD act, there may be also a fundamental difference in the shape of this organ as well?

This research, just published in the online edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry, shows actual differences in the shapes of boys’ brains with ADD/ADHD. Why is this even important? This knowledge may eventually help to locate the specific neural circuits that are involved in this disorder.

Staff from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins Center for Imaging Science used a new tool in this project. It’s called a large deformation diffeomorphic mapping (LDDMM) tool, providing them with a very accurate shape of the basal ganglia. Previous research only looked at the volume of the basal ganglia, but was not able to actually determine shape differences. This area of the brain is located deep within either hemisphere of the organ.

Not only did the boys with ADD/ADHD have a significant difference in the shape, but also noticeably smaller volume of the basal ganglia as well. Curiously, girls’ brains revealed no differences. This evidence suggests, the researchers explain, that sex influences the way ADD/ADHD is expressed.

The study viewed the brains of 47 children with ADHD as well as a control group of 66 youngsters, all between the ages of 8 to 13 years old.

These results are exciting because they are building on the growing research which shows that the shape of some parts of the brain may play a factor in this disorder. In fact, the research involves the first reported shape abnormality of the basal ganglia.

Researchers explain that this is only the beginning of the research into this area. The next phase, they explain, is to examine whether these differences in the brain can actually predict certain behavioral symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Possible future studies could include examining the structural features that are associated with compensating and responding to therapy.

To read the entire article click here.

Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Brain Imaging, Basal Ganglia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Brain

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

A recent study looked at the growing use of prescription drugs among children with a variety of chronic illnesses, including diabetes and hypertension, not just ADD/ADHD.

The study was conducted by researchers of Express Scripts, Inc., the Pediatric Research Institute at St. Louis University and the Kansas Health Institute in Topeka, Kansas. Express Scripts is a firm which manages pharmacy benefits.

Of the increase in ADD/ADHD related prescription drugs, the researchers report, use in girls rose nearly twice as fast as it did in boys, totaling a 63 percent increase from 2002 to 2005. In contrast the increase in boys rose only 33 percent.

Researchers also reported that more young adults between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age had been prescribed a medication for ADD/ADHD. This is normally, the report said, an age where many children are taken off these medications.

Part of the reason for the increase, professionals speculate, may be related to the fact that the government now provides incentives for drug companies to study the effects of medications in adolescents. Specifically, the incentive is a patent extension of six-months on any product which included these studies.

Prior to this, companies were hesitant to perform research involving children because the market potential did not warrant it.

The study also discovered that the use of prescription medications for type-2 diabetes, the disease most commonly found in older, overweight adults, had risen in teens some 15 percent from 2002 to 2005.

The report was published recently in the Journal of American Pediatrics Association. To view the entire article on this report visit here.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. to learn more about the proper use of medication in ADD and ADHD, please visit: ADHD Medication Treatment

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Medication, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

That’s why the results of a recent study are encouraging. It shows that the prescription drug, Strattera®, is particularly effective in helping those teens who not only have ADD/ADHD but who are also being treated for some type of drug problem.

About 40 percent of the teenagers who are being treated for drug abuse also have some degree of ADD/ADHD, according to Dr. Christian Thurstone, of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, University of Colorado.

Strattera® is most effective, in fact when it’s used in combination with cognitive behavior therapy, he says. These findings were recently presented to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) 55th annual meeting held Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 in Chicago.

Clinicians, however, seem reluctant to actually provide these individuals with integrated treatment, Dr. Thurstone continued. While not actually sure why, he suggests that the lack of research in this area may be one reason for this. In fact, only one drug trial involving teens with ADD/ADHD and substance abuse has shown a positive response. That particular study revealed that the use of Cylert® for adolescents with both of these problems appeared to help.

The trial took 70 teens, aged 13 through 19, who not only were diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, but had at least one non-tobacco substance use disorder as well. These adolescents were divided into two groups, one receive Strattera®, the other receiving a placebo. All of the participants received cognitive behavior therapy.

Results revealed that the ADD/ADHD symptoms decreased significantly for those who were administered the Strattera®. But the real surprise came when the group receiving the placebo as well as the cognitive behavioral therapy showed improvement similar to findings from several other trials studying adults with ADD/ADHD and substance abuse.

Dr. Thurstone said that a more extensive study may be needed to detail the difference between the results received from Strattera and those of the placebo.

To view the entire article, you can click here.

Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: Strattera, ADHD, Substance Abuse, ADD

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

If any parent of an child with ADD/ADHD needed any more proof that this disorder strains the entire family, you need only read the latest study on the subject in the October issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Thought to be the first study of its kind, the research revealed that parents who have a child with ADD/ADHD are twice as likely to be divorced by the time the child is 8 years old compared to those marriages in which the child doesn’t have the disorder.

The study discovered that those 23 percent of parents whose children had ADD/ADHD were likely to divorce compared to only 13 percent of couples whose children didn’t have the disorder.

Not only that, but the investigators also discovered that among the divorced couples, those whose families included children with ADD/ADHD experienced divorce sooner than those families who didn’t.

The lead author of the study, Brian T. Wymbs, who is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pa., believes that this is the first study to examine “both parent and child factors individually” in regard to the rate and timing of divorce.

“Moreover, this is the only study,” he continued, “to demonstrate that the severity of the child’s disruptive behavior, specifically those with ODD [oppositional defiant disorder] or CD [conduct disorder], increases the risk of divorce.”

The study also revealed that among divorced couples who had children with ADD/ADHD, other characteristics appear to play a role in the decision to divorce. Among them include the age of the children when he was diagnosed, the ethnicity of the parents, as well as the severity of any disorders that have been diagnosed along with the ADD/ADHD, like ODD or CD.

Two additional factors also seem to influence the risk and rate of divorce: the level of education of the parents and the father’s “antisocial behavior”, such as any type of criminal background.

In fact, according to the study, this final factor is may also be the largest one. Another cause which may contribute to the high divorce rate was when the mother had a substantially less education than the fathers.

To view the entire article and read more on this study click here.

To learn about a comprehensive resource which can help you to get your child or teen’s ADD and ADHD on track, visit: ADHD Success.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: Divorce, ADD, ADHD, Parenting

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

These are the findings of a study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The research also revealed that these individuals may be more vulnerable to smoking if exposed to environmental factors, such as friends or parents who smoke.

But that’s not all, the researchers discovered that even if the persons did not have all the symptoms to qualify as an official diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, they were still at a greater risk than others for this addiction. The more symptoms they exhibited, the study concluded, the greater their chances of becoming dependent on nicotine.

This isn’t the first study, though, to show that young persons with ADD/ADHD are more likely to smoke cigarettes – and start smoking at an earlier age than the average. This study, however, demonstrates the severity of the dependency on nicotine.

The study chose participants from two previous long-term studies – one involving boys, the other girls. These particular studies originally analyzed several factors. In both of these studies, the participants completed a questionnaire which evaluated their smoking history as well as the extent of their tobacco dependence – if any.

The study evaluated responses from 80 participants with ADHD as well as 86 individuals without the disorder.
Sixty nine percent of those with ADD/ADHD had smoked at some point in their lives; 41 percent of those individuals were still smokers. This compares to 44 percent of individuals without ADD/ADHD who had ever smoked. Moreover, only 17 percent of those were still smoking.
This study is interesting because it actually suggests that certain biological events may be at work that could possibly be the underlying causes of both ADHD and nicotine dependence.
Previous studies as well as experience have already revealed some link between ADD/ADHD and nicotine use.

“We’ve already shown that nicotine-based medications can treat ADHD symptoms, said Timothy Wilens, MD, director of the Substance Abuse Program in the Massachusetts General Pediatric Psychopharmacology Department. “[A]nd it’s known that the children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at greater risk of ADHD.”
You can read the entire article here.

To learn about a comprehensive program to help kids and teens to succeed with their ADD and ADHD, click here.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: Smoking, Nicotine, ADD, ADHD

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

In one of the largest controlled stimulant trials of adults with ADD/ADHD, Vyvanse® proved to be significantly more effective than a placebo at managing the symptoms of the disorder. And it did so for some in as short a time as one week.

Those are the results of the Phase II trial of Vyvanse, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved last April for adult use. The drug had already been approved for use in children ages six to 12 years old in July 2007.

Vyvanse® passed not one, but two, standard medical markers of effectiveness. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study which lasted four weeks, the trial involved 414 adults between the ages of 18 to 55. The test also used all the possible dosage levels of Vyvanse ®– 30, 50 and 70 mg.

At each one of these levels the prescription medication, manufactured by Shire Corp. outperformed the placebo.

Researchers used the ADHD Rating Scale which contains 18 separate diagnostic criteria as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the official publication of the American Psychiatric Association. This scale is a validated method for assessing ADD/ADHD symptoms. Using this scale symptoms were reduced by up to 45 percent.

The scientists also used another measurement marker, the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale as well. The percentage of adults who experienced a reduction of symptoms using Vyvanse who said they were “much improved” or “very much improved” according to investigators, ranged from 57 to 61 percent by the end of the study.

If you would like to view the entire article regarding this trial, you can click here.

Best,
Dr. Kenny

Technorati Tags: vyvanse, ADHD Medication, Adult ADHD, Adult ADD

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

Instead, researchers – and many parents as well – have asked: Is the use of the stimulant Ritalin that causes some teens with ADD/ADHD use illicit drugs or is the ADHD itself that triggers this problem.

Professionals and others have weighed in on this problem for years. And now, authors of a new study believe they may have figured out the conundrum. A study, published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine says that for girls with ADHD at least, using prescription drugs to treat their ADD/ADHD actually makes them less susceptible to abusing recreational drugs.

The study uses recent findings that boys with ADD/ADHD were also less likely to abuse illegal drugs if they were medicated for their health condition.

The study evaluated 114 girls – from age six to 18. Of these 94 of them were medicated for their health problem; the other 20 were not. The researchers discovered that those who were treated with prescription drugs were about half as likely to not only take illicit drugs, but also were less likely to consume alcohol and some cigarettes.

To view the entire article visit here.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. to learn more about ADD/ADHD medication, please visit: Medication Mastery

Technorati Tags: ADHD Medication, ADD Medication, Addiction

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.

Neurofeedback, so its supportors say, trains the brain to work more efficiently by measuring the brain waves while an individual essentially plays a video game. Now, the effectiveness of this treatment is being put to the test – the scientific test, that is.

Researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio testing this form of therapy with the help of 36 children, aged six to 12. Each child receives 40 treatments of neurofeedback training either two or three times weekly for a total of 14 to 21 weeks.

The students are not permitted to take medication for ADD/ADHD during the course of the trial.

This study is the first time that neurofeedback as a treatment for ADD/ADHD has been tested in a double-blind study in this country. The study works by monitoring the brain waves of the children as they play the video game. As the children lose focus on the game, their brain waves will naturally slow. And in turn the test is constructed so the children lose the ability to control the game. They won’t be able to gain control again until they are prompted to refocus, which will increase their brain waves.

Having the research be ‘double blinded’, means that one group of the children will receive the real neurofeedback treatment, where the second group will have the same set up, however the treatment will not be true neurofeedback. This will allow the researchers to see if the neurofeedback leads to clinical improvement in children with ADD/ADHD, because the ‘sham’ treatment is acting like a placebo.

Watch this blog to see view the results of this trial. You can also visit here to read the entire news release of the study.

Best,

Dr. Kenny

p.s. to learn more about neurofeedback and other alternatives for ADD/ADHD, please visit: Alternatives for ADHD.

Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Neurofeedback, alternative medicine

©2012 ADD ADHD Blog.com. All Rights Reserved.