Top 5 Biggest Breakthroughs in Research for ADHD

SYDNEY, Australia – Are you looking for significant researches about ADHD in terms of prognosis, diagnosis, and available therapies?

Do you want to have a steady and updated knowledge about ADHD?

We’ll talk about the important breakthroughs about ADHD, particularly:

1. New Researches on ADHD
2. ADHD Biomarker
3. Hypothyroidism among mothers resulting to offspring 
4. An ADHD Patient to an Entrepreneur
5. ADHD Impact on College Students

I. New Researches on ADHD

ADHD biomarker

According to the DSM-5, there is currently no biomarker for this condition. However, diagnosing ADHD fast is made possible with a new study led by a University at Buffalo. The researchers have identified how brain connectivity which is a specific communication among different regions of the human brain can be a biomarker for diagnosing ADHD within a short period.

The team who led this research was composed of UB undergraduate research volunteers Cary Judson from the Department of Psychology and Dakota Handzlik in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and John G. Holden, an associate professor of psychology. 

The research used machine-learning classifiers to identify with 99% accuracy to adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in their childhood years. They utilised the fMRI data from 80 adult participants and with the help of these Machine learning classifiers, they tested the participant’s capability  to inhibit an automatic response.

Focused analysis of individual runs achieved 91% diagnostic accuracy, while the collective analysis came close to 99%. The findings is that it is effective in identifying ADHD and also aid professionals and doctor’s treatment plans by understanding the broad-continuum situation of the individuals with ADHD.

Hypothyroidism among mothers resulting in offspring with ADHD

Lesser body-regulating chemicals in mothers during the first trimester of pregnancy can affect the baby’s brain development, leading to ADHD.  The hormones found in the thyroid gland are known to have properties important for fetal growth. According to researchers, Hypothyroidism may be a culprit that contributes to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“Our findings make clear that thyroid health likely has a much larger role in fetal brain development and behavioural disorders like ADHD than we previously understood,” says Morgan Peltier, PhD. an associate professor and researcher of this study.

However, they also found out that there was once a pregnant mother in her six-month stage, her hypothyroidism had a minor effect on her children. Peltier says that it is highly likely that the fetus has begun to be self-sufficient, creating its own thyroid hormones.

A new investigation took place, studying a mother’s hypothyroidism and ADHD in her children. The participants are from Kaiser Permanente Southern California Hospitals with 329,157 children from birth until age 17, studying them for over two decades. The researchers included people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Peltier says that this longitudinal study paved way for researchers to better capture cases of ADHD in children as they grow up to school age.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Infancy Revisits To Hospitals

Children with ADHD have frequent hospital and clinic visits in their first year of life than children who doesn’t have this condition. This may imply that early detection of ADHD is possible.

This study from Duke Health researchers have gathered findings that the baby’s first year of health care utilisation patterns can be checked from virtual medical records, this can serve as a guide in providing timely diagnoses and treatment plans that are effective and affordable.

“This study provides evidence that children who develop autism and ADHD are on a different path from the beginning,” said lead researcher Matthew Engelhard, M.D., Ph.D. He also added that the distinctive patterns of utilisation begin early in a child’s life even before diagnoses, and thus, providing an opportunity for early intervention.

Engelhard and other co-researchers used 10 years of data gathered from the virtual health records at Duke University Health System. There were at least 30,000 people who had at least two well-child visits before age one that participated in this study.

The participants were grouped according to diagnosis: ASD, ADHD, both conditions or no diagnosis. An analysis of the first-year records for hospital admissions, procedures, ER visits and outpatient clinical appointments, were conducted.

The findings were these: children who were later found to have one or both of the diagnoses (ASD, ADHD), they tend to have longer duration of hospital stays compared to children without the disorders. Furthermore, kids who were later found to have ADHD had more procedures like blood transfusions, more hospital admissions, and ER visits.

Understanding that there are medical details  in children’s electronic health record could help lead to earlier diagnoses and immediate intervention programs.

An Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Patient to an Entrepreneur

 Many people with ADHD have the following symptoms: poor sleeping pattern, inattention, highly impulsive and hyperactivity behaviour after getting disrupted sleep. A new study found that these ADHD symptoms are linked with increase entrepreneurial activity.

Jeff Gish, a professor of business at the University of Central Florida and one of the researchers of the study says that “”We’re not advocating depriving yourself of sleep to get ahead. “We’re saying that there appears to be an interesting link between sleep and entrepreneurship.” He further stated that the symptoms of ADHD can be a benefit, rather than a roadblock when it comes to entrepreneurship. However, there’s a catch because even though sleep problems may inspire a individual into entrepreneurship, the sleep problems may affect the cognitive and emotional competency to be a thriving entrepreneur. 

The study is critiqued to be proving that that sleep problems might create an entrepreneur with ADHD, but does not test the level of efficacy of how the entrepreneur handles the business.

There are information that would support the idea of the study. Famous business personalities like Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, Cisco Systems CEO John T. Chambers, are diagnosed with ADHD.  This further  links sleep deprivation among ADHD affected people increases productivity for business ventures.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Impact on College Students

A study conducted at UCLA about students with ADHD that are part of the 6% of the college student population has been researched for the impacts of the condition in college and the ongoing academic problems that come with it.

This is in relation to one of the latest studies entitled  “Academic Trajectories of College Students with and without ADHD: Predictors of Four-Year Outcomes,” if George DuPaul, professor of school psychology and one of the researchers in Lehigh University’s College of Education. Their studies state that students with ADHD encounter many problems regarding college-related tasks.

The said study is the first to research on the functioning of ADHD students across four years of college. DuPaul pointed out that college students with ADHD are likely to have difficulty in their academic endeavors during college days. They are also prone to dropping out of college and require additional academic support prior to and throughout college.

Out of the 200 college students that were identified with ADHD, the researchers assessed GPA per semester, self-study reports, graduate progress, and college drop-out status. The student participants in this four-year study came from colleges in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

The researchers found that for a four-year period in college, most students with ADHD received grades that were half a grade level below their classmates. Additionally,these college students with ADHD were significantly less likely to drop out during the semester. 

Although these college students have been taking medications, the researchers found that there were several factors at work that predicted academic success for students with ADHD, including having lesser depressive tendencies, high-functioning skills, and solid educational support in high school and college.

II. How does the Tomatis® Method help individuals with ADHD?

This is done with the TalksUp® and Tomatis® phases provided with the listening equipment at Tomatis® method. An ear-brain training program targeting the vestibular-cochlear and central nervous systems using the frequencies and tones of music. This will help regulate emotions and improve attention among people with ADHD.

A. The benefits of music therapy

Though Music or listening  therapy is used to help many patients suffering from severe brain trauma, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease, it can be used for people with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). So how does music or listening therapy work?

• Rewiring the brain through the rhythmic structure. According to Kirsten Hutchison, a music therapist that music contains which is a structure that regulates the mood and thinking of ADHD patients. It encourages their brain to stay on a linear path. Music can help their brain to stay focused, thinking critically, and cool down irritability.
• Reactivating neural synapses. Neural synapses work best with the brain’s happy hormone, Dopamine which is also the reward hormone. When we look at brain imaging scans, we can see that music significantly has an impact on both lobes of the brain. If there is a continual neural synapse, the brain is reinforced to help improve functionality. The results would be an attentive brain and stronger control of emotions.

B. How to engage a person with ADHD in music/listening therapy

• Lessen electronic distractions – your child or an individual with ADHD could be irritated with the sound of the TV, computer, and other electronic with audible noises. You should let your child hear the music of different tempos, rhythms, beat, genres, and identify which calms them. You can use it to their advantage and let them hear that music to refocus and stabilise their moods.
• Customise a playlist – When you figure out what music your child or a person with ADHD likes best, ask them to create their own playlist in Spotify or Apple music. For music and listening therapy, you can also use the audio in TalksUp® of the Tomatis® method upon a professional visit to one of its practitioners. 
• Get your child’s attention with distinct sounds – creating a noise like banging a drum , ringing a bell, or playing a note on the piano will catch your child’s attention. It will also train their brains to distinguish sounds apart and prepare them for listening to music.

III. How the TalksUp® works for people with ADHD

The TalksUp® is a portable, electronic device utilised by Tomatis® professionals. It is a listening program made for parents and children with ADHD to give them better quality of life.

 With the Tomatis® Gating® technology, it paves way for real-time audio hearing. The professional who initially assess you will tailor the program according to the needs of the ADHD individual.

To utilise the program, you just have to simply press the buttons on the screen to play music or audio lessons. It has an ergonomic design with powerful progression tools. Since it is a form of music and listening therapy, it has non-compressed and protected musical and audio content that you can playback.