Like all psychiatric disorders, ADHD is diagnosed based on the presence of particular behavioral symptoms that are judged to cause significant impairment in an individual’s functioning, and not on the results of a specific test. In fact, recently published ADHD evaluation guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explicitly state that no particular diagnostic test should be routinely used when evaluating a child for ADHD.

While most ADHD experts would agree that no single test could or should be used in isolation to diagnose ADHD, there are several important reasons why the availability of an accurate objective test would be useful.

First, many children do not receive a careful and comprehensive assessment for ADHD but are instead diagnosed with based on evaluation procedures that are far from optimal.

Second, although AAP guidelines indicate that specific diagnostic tests should not be routinely used, many parents are concerned about the lack of objective procedures in their child’s evaluation. In fact, many families do not pursue treatment for ADHD because the the absence of objective evaluation procedures leads them to question the diagnosis. You can read a review of an interesting study on this issue at www.helpforadd.com/2006/january.htm

For these reasons an accurate and objective diagnostic test for ADHD could be of value in many clinical situations. Two important conditions would have to be met for such a test to be useful.

First, it would have to be highly sensitive to Read the rest of this entry »

Neurofeedback is one of the technologies that people often ask us about.  It is a promising intervention in a variety of areas, and has got significant traction in helping kids with ADD/ ADHD. Now, given the significant cost it poses for parents, we need to ask the question: “How Strong is the Research Support for Neurofeedback Treatment of Children with ADHD”?

We are honored to present the thoughts of Duke University’s Dr. David Rabiner, a leading authority on the field, on that important issue. As a bonus, you will enjoy his detailed description and suggestions of how to design a high-quality scientific study. Without further ado, let’s hear Dr. Rabiner speak.

- Alvaro

(Update as of March 2009: Dr. David Rabiner has written an update to the article below based on a newer study. You can read it clicking on link: New Study Supports Neurofeedback Treatment for ADHD)
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How Strong is the Research Support for Neurofeedback Treatment of Children with ADHD? 

Neither of the two prominent approaches to treating ADHD – medication treatment and behavior therapy – are expected to effect long term changes in the child. Medication treatment induces short-term changes in brain activity that is associated with a reduction in symptoms for many individuals. Behavior therapy attempts to create a set of environmental contingencies that promote desired behavior in the child, but which is unlikely to endure when those contingencies are removed.

In recent years, researchers have begun devoting greater attention to the possibility that children – and adults – may be provided with particular kinds of experiences that may induce alterations in brain functioning that are associated with more enduring changes, i.e., they do not dissipate as soon as treatment ends.

Neurofeedback – also known as EEG Biofeedback – is reflective of this approach and has a history that goes back Read the rest of this entry »

As every Monday, we bring you many blog carnivals (collections of blog posts around specific topics) we have contributed to. But before we do so, we have 2 announcements: 

• Learning, The Gravy Way will host the next edition of the Brain fitness carnival on August 20th. You still have a few days to submit your post on anything related to brain exercise and mental training. And let me know if you want to host future editions.
• We will host the medicine 2.0 carnival on August 19th. Please submit your great posts if you want to participate!

Here are our favorite carnivals today

• Tangled Bank (science)
• Encephalon (neuroscience)
• Grand Rounds (medicine)
• Gene Genie (genes and DNA)

 

Other good ones Read the rest of this entry »

A blog carnival is a collection of good blog posts around a specific topic, published usually every 2 or 4 weeks. This time many carnivals included some of our articles, so we have a longer than usual list. Take a look at the topics you may be interested in.

The first 5 carnivals did the most creative work, in our view, to display all the content: Read the rest of this entry »