The American Heart Association wants doctors to do an electrocardiogram (EKG) — a measure of heart health — in order to determine whether a child is fit to take stimulant medication for attention deficit disorder (ADD). The AHA recently published this statement online. It says there are conditions that a typical physical exam might not pick up, but that would contraindicate the use of these medications. Read more →

You’re stuck in a mental bind. Today, a mighty simple idea is here to release you. This entry is for anyone who has or who deals with neurological or mental challenges. That is, everyone. It is definitely for folks with ADD or similar problems. It’s also for people who have the symptoms of ADD even though it doesn’t exist.

What does it mean if you say someone is mean, lazy, stupid, or crazy? It might mean that you did something that made me mad, so I called you a name. Or maybe I’m PC enough to call your behavior a name, as in, “Jeez, Carl, that was awful stupid. Clean that up.” Read more →

Welcome to the thirty-third edition of Encephalon. We at Brain Blogger are honored to host this neuroscience blogging carnival. We received many quality posts that we have included below. Enjoy your readings; you will certainly learn a great deal! Read more →

The U.S. Senate declared September 19th to be ADD Awareness Day. To celebrate, I’m going to lose my car keys.

What a Shame About Me

Perhaps the biggest problem with attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD or AD/HD or ADD/ADHD), is that superstitious and stereotyped social attitudes keep people from focusing on results and cultivating gifts in order to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Read more →

Welcome to the fourteenth edition of Brain Blogging — a semi-monthly blog carnival that aims to review posts “related to the brain and mind that go beyond the basic sciences into a more human and multidimensional perspective.” Read more →

Danielle Fisher, a petite, 21-year-old college student from Bow, Washington, made headlines last year when she became the youngest person to conquer “The Seven Summits” – the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. While her drive and passion helped her become one of the best alpine climbers in her age group, Danielle also trounces tradition in another way. Danielle, along with millions of adults in the United States, struggles daily with the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Read more →