ADHD Executive Function Deficits and Meditation

"A UCLA study shows that only about half of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, exhibit the cognitive defects commonly associated with the condition.

The study also found that in populations where medication is rarely prescribed to treat ADHD, the prevalence and symptoms of the disorder are roughly equivalent to populations in which medication is widely used.

The results of the first large, longitudinal study of adolescents and ADHD, conducted among the population of northern Finland, appeared in several papers in a special section of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry published in December and are currently online.

ADHD is a common, chronic behavioral disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that is thought to affect some 5 to 10 percent of school-age children worldwide.

In adolescence, ADHD is generally associated with cognitive deficits, particularly with working memory and inhibition, which have been linked to overall intelligence and academic achievement, according to UCLA psychiatry professor Susan Smalley, who headed the research. Interestingly, the study showed that these deficits are only present in about half of adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.

Part of the explanation may lie in the common method for diagnosing the disorder. The researchers found that ADHD is an extreme on a normal continuum of behavior that varies in the population, much like height, weight or IQ. Its diagnosis, and thus its prevalence, is defined by where health professionals "draw the line" on this continuum, based on the severity of the symptoms and overall impairment.

However, children with cognitive deficits do not show increased levels of inattention or hyperactivity when compared with other children diagnosed with ADHD, the study found, suggesting that behavior-rating scales alone are not sensitive enough to differentiate between the two groups. Additional psychological testing is recommended to confirm the presence of cognitive impairments."

This is why we often refer the children in our practice for a brief Neuropsychological assessment with a board certified child neuropsychologist. These evaluations are important in recommending a course of intervention. Some children may benefit from executive brain function training others may be subject to misdiagnosis, others may be twice gifted. Children really do come in all shapes and sizes and it is central to their well-being that we learn as much about them as possible to provide them with what they need.

Curiously, we also regard interventions such as mindfulness training, meditation and yoga to be important aspects of intervention for ADHD.

Read what researcher Dr. Susan Smalley has to say about meditation on her thoughtful blog. www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smalley/medication-or-meditation-_b_14839.html

Then visit www.drthomasebrown.com and read about current research on brain development and ADHD as well. Happy learning.