Comments on: Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: A Real Concern http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/ Topics from multidimensional biopsychosocial perspectives. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:31:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Jenny http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/#comment-191185 Jenny Tue, 27 May 2008 16:10:15 +0000 http://brainblogger.com/?p=890#comment-191185 i have this! i'm not being treated for it though. i had add in school to when i was younger but the meds they put me on didnt work. i have this! i’m not being treated for it though. i had add in school to when i was younger but the meds they put me on didnt work.

]]> By: Carnival of Family Life: Memorial Day Edition | Colloquium http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/#comment-189329 Carnival of Family Life: Memorial Day Edition | Colloquium Mon, 26 May 2008 07:54:50 +0000 http://brainblogger.com/?p=890#comment-189329 [...] Lakhan presents Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: A Real Concern posted at Brain [...] [...] Lakhan presents Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: A Real Concern posted at Brain [...]

]]> By: Pam http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/#comment-180929 Pam Wed, 21 May 2008 00:54:57 +0000 http://brainblogger.com/?p=890#comment-180929 My husband has been somewhat ADD as long as I have known him and both our kids are diagnosed with ADD and helped very much by medication. But now my husband, at age 62, is diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. It is very confusing because the early symptoms overlap so much with the ADD. Is anyone doing research on the relationship between ADD and Parkinson's in general or Lewy Body Dementia in particular? I did some searching but couldn't find anything. My husband has been somewhat ADD as long as I have known him and both our kids are diagnosed with ADD and helped very much by medication. But now my husband, at age 62, is diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. It is very confusing because the early symptoms overlap so much with the ADD. Is anyone doing research on the relationship between ADD and Parkinson’s in general or Lewy Body Dementia in particular? I did some searching but couldn’t find anything.

]]> By: Traman http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/#comment-175457 Traman Fri, 16 May 2008 18:59:44 +0000 http://brainblogger.com/?p=890#comment-175457 An alternative explanation (or maybe not - could really be the same thing) for why Adderall, et al., working is that ADD/ADHD are due to an "issue" (I don't necessarily believe it's anything but a natural statistical variation combined with environmental stimulus changes) with switching between outside and inside "stimulus" (related to mirror neurons, etc.). With ADD/ADHD the outside stimulus too easily disrupts the internal flow of internally generated stimulus. Hyperfocus occurs because certain internal tasks happen to be strong enough themselves or are able to create a positive feedback loop that creates a sustained block against external stimulus. Stimulants speed up the internal stimulus which comes to competitively dominate over the external stimulus. This is sort of like driving faster prevents you from noticing you could have made a left or right turn as you drive through the blocks - you're going too fast to notice them. The fact that most pre-treatment/pre-diagnosed adult ADD/ADHDers self medicate with caffeine and are prone to "abuse" of illicit stimulants seems to support this idea. An alternative explanation (or maybe not - could really be the same thing) for why Adderall, et al., working is that ADD/ADHD are due to an “issue” (I don’t necessarily believe it’s anything but a natural statistical variation combined with environmental stimulus changes) with switching between outside and inside “stimulus” (related to mirror neurons, etc.). With ADD/ADHD the outside stimulus too easily disrupts the internal flow of internally generated stimulus. Hyperfocus occurs because certain internal tasks happen to be strong enough themselves or are able to create a positive feedback loop that creates a sustained block against external stimulus.

Stimulants speed up the internal stimulus which comes to competitively dominate over the external stimulus. This is sort of like driving faster prevents you from noticing you could have made a left or right turn as you drive through the blocks - you’re going too fast to notice them. The fact that most pre-treatment/pre-diagnosed adult ADD/ADHDers self medicate with caffeine and are prone to “abuse” of illicit stimulants seems to support this idea.

]]> By: Anonymous http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/16/adult-attention-deficit-disorder-a-real-concern/#comment-175417 Anonymous Fri, 16 May 2008 18:20:34 +0000 http://brainblogger.com/?p=890#comment-175417 I think we do not really know how the stimulants helping with AADD work. Their primary target are norepinephrine and dopamine receptors, not serotonin. SSRI's, used for depression etc., target serotonin receptors, and they are not very useful with AADD. Now, some believe SSRI's eventually modulate dopamine. And stimulants would eventually modulate serotonin? :) A common belief is that the brain of an AADD sufferer is not fully awake, and stimulants help with this. I think we do not really know how the stimulants helping with AADD work. Their primary target are norepinephrine and dopamine receptors, not serotonin. SSRI’s, used for depression etc., target serotonin receptors, and they are not very useful with AADD.

Now, some believe SSRI’s eventually modulate dopamine. And stimulants would eventually modulate serotonin? :)

A common belief is that the brain of an AADD sufferer is not fully awake, and stimulants help with this.

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