Brain Screening Can Help Diagnose ADHD

This technology, called electroencephalogram (EEG) or quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG), has been around for many years. It can help diagnose ADHD by detecting brain-wave patterns that are distinctive to people with ADHD. People with ADHD have areas of their brains that are *under-aroused* or hypoaroused. When the ratio of under-aroused brainwaves is greater to active brain waves, it may indicate a disorder that responds well to stimulant medication. As stated by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey in Delivered from Distraction(2006), “New studies have shown that people who show the characteristic pattern of cortical hypoarousal are likely to respond well to stimulant medication. This provides

Good Nutrition Can Lessen ADHD Symptoms

I just recently read this information in “ADDitude” magazine online. They outline several ways to relieve symptoms of ADHD without medication. I have seen these ideas discussed over the past several years, and some in particular ring true: – fatty oils / fish oil – iron, zinc & vitamin C and vitamin B6 – lots of protein in the diet to keep energy steady throughout the day They note that for the fish oil, “The best supplements have two or three times more EPA than DHA.” I know that the “gentle” forms of iron work much better — the other types

ADHD Medication Advice from Most Experts Is Positive

While some parents prefer no medications for their children with ADHD, many others are administering them with good results. The most common recommendation I hear is, “Use medication AND behavioral interventions.” Don’t just pop a pill and expect everything to come into focus. If a child or young adult does not know how to organize his school work, taking a pill that stimulates a neuro-receptor in his brain will not help him learn that executive skill. For parents struggling with this decision, I would like to present the many “pros” I have read about medication. Yes, there are some “cons,”

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for ADHD

A great book on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, for people who have ADHD has just been released in paperback. While it is intended for therapists who want to help people with ADHD to build skills in executive functioning, the first half of the book presents evidence about the areas in life where working adults may struggle and fail, in spite of being talented, articulate and hard-working. It’s called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Dysfunction by Mary V. Solanto. She is a psychiatrist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. I’ve taken