New Discoveries in the Behavioral Neuroscience of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder


Book Description

New Discoveries in the Behavioral Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder reviews the latest developments in preclinical and clinical research of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. As well as updating key chapters that were included in an earlier edition, this volume includes some new topics that are attracting a great deal of interest and point the way to new and promising directions for future research. The chapters follow five main themes: Current perspectives on the clinical profile of ADHD and its treatment, common co-occurring conditions, neurobiological studies examining brain function and genetics, animal and in vitro studies, and future directions. This combination of topics emphasises the translational relevance and validity of preclinical research so as to enable a better understanding of ADHD and to highlight the promising strategies for developing new treatments.




Behavioral Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Treatment


Book Description

In this volume there is a strong emphasis on translational science, with preclinical approaches suggesting new directions for development of new treatments. Individual chapters describe how neuroimaging, neuroendocrine, genetic and behavioral studies use powerful research tools that are offering a completely new understanding of the factors that increase vulnerability to ADHD. The clinical impact of co-morbid problems, especially obesity and substance misuse, are highlighted and explain what such problems can tell us about the etiology of ADHD, more generally. Reviews of the pharmacology of established drug treatments for ADHD justify an exciting novel theory for their therapeutic actions and address questions about the effects of their long‐term use.




Brain Development and the Attention Spectrum


Book Description

Early-onset and enduring developmental deficits in attention, especially if combined with increased hyperactivity, and impulsivity, may result in constant impairments in multiple domains of personal life. The full spectrum of symptoms is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, which is maladaptive and inconsistent with a comparable level of developmental age known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is considered one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders and of childhood, and among the most prevalent chronic health conditions. Given the wide heterogeneity and complex manifestations of the disorder, there is an importance in a developmental perspective that views ADHD as a multi-factorial disorder with multiple, causal processes, and pathways. The symptoms of ADHD should be cast, not as static or fixed neurobehavioral deficits, but rather in terms of underlying developmental processes. Even experienced professional might minimize the prevalence of a disorder among certain groups of patients. Therefore, the existence of attention disorders might become "transparent" for both the patient and the professional. This might lead to a non-accurate diagnosis, harm the treatment aspects and has potential non beneficial prognostic aspects. The developmental approach can provide predictions as to how characteristics associated with attention develop over time and how multiple risk and protective factors transact to impact it's development, as well as the development of a broad range of associated co-morbid features. Among children with mental retardation, autistic spectrum disorders, children who were born premature, born with low birth weight, as well as among those who suffer from chronic disorders (such as epilepsy, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or asthma), as well as among otherwise healthy preschoolers – the assessment of attention performance might be very challenging. In this research topic, we explore the latest cutting edge research on the biological and neural pathways as well as on psychosocial and behavioral correlates of brain development and attention spectrum. In doing so we aim to highlight: what is currently known regarding this new conceptualization of attention as a spectrum; the mechanisms underlying this spectrum; and where this field is headed in terms of developing our understanding of the link between brain development and attention performance.




Attention, Genes, and Developmental Disorders


Book Description

What is attention? How does it go wrong? Do attention deficits arise from genes or from the environment? Can we cure it with drugs or training? Are there disorders of attention other than deficit disorders?The past decade has seen a burgeoning of research on the subject of attention. This research has been facilitated by advances on several fronts: New methods are now available for viewing brain activity in real time, there is expanding information on the complexities of the biochemistry of neural activity, individual genes can be isolated and their functions identified, analysis of the component processes included under the broad umbrella of "attention" has become increasingly sophisticated, and ingenious methods have been devised for measuring typical and atypical development of these processes, from infancy into childhood, and then into adulthood.In this book, Kim Cornish and John Wilding are concerned with attention and its development, both typical and atypical, particularly in disorders with a known genetic etiology or assumed genetic linkage. Tremendous advances across seemingly diverse disciplines - molecular genetics, pediatric neurology, child psychiatry, developmental cognitive neuroscience, and education - have culminated in a wealth of new methods for elucidating disorders at multiple levels, possibly paving the way for new treatment options. Cornish and Wilding use three specific-yet-interlinking levels of analysis: genetic blueprint (genotype), the developing brain, and the behavioral-cognitive outcomes (phenotype), as the basis for charting the attention profiles of six well-documented neurodevelopmental disorders: ADHD, autism, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and 22q11 deletion syndrome. Their overarching aim in this book is to provide the most authoritative and extensive account to date of disorder-specific attention profiles and their development from infancy through adolescence.




Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder


Book Description

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder affecting 5–10% of children and adolescents and 3% of adults. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: From Genes to Patients aims to provide a comp- hensive, state-of-the-art overview of the critical aspects of ADHD, and hopefully will serve as a quick and up-to-date reference source for professionals with an int- est in ADHD. The book is divided into three major areas that follow an historical survey. The first group of chapters deals with current theories on the pathophysiology of ADHD, and focuses on neurotransmitters and the contributions and validity of animal m- els. The second section emphasizes the evaluation and treatment of patients with ADHD, from the day-to-day approach by the clinical psychologist to the more sophisticated anatomical and functional imaging strategies that have emerged in the last decade. In addition, chapters dealing with specific impairments, such as those pertaining to reading, social interaction, and working memory, are also included for more detailed analysis of these important aspects and their respective contributions to global functioning. The third and final section provides an expanded review on the pharmacotherapy of ADHD and the appropriate methods for selection of specific drugs for individual patients based on drug kinetics and gene expression. David Gozal, MD Dennis L. Molfese, PhD vii CONTENTS Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi 1 Historical Aspects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Roscoe A. Dykman 2 Scanning the Genome for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




Understanding Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)


Book Description

The volume is an international book of collected papers by 26 eminent specialists from eight different countries and many parts of the world (America, Brazil, India, Mexique, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and Turkey), dealing with the problem of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This disorder interferes to a great extent with functioning and development of children at different age.The volume provides a contemporary and future - oriented view of the issues and concepts in the pattern, mechanisms and remediation of ADHD. They include problems of social functioning and learning disability of children with ADHD, psychological, physiological, genetic and neurological mechanisms, cerebral substrate and etiology of this form of dysontogenesis, forensic implications for behavioral disturbances associated with childhood ADHD, practical suggestions for clinicians and psychologists, new methods of its assessment and efficient methods and approaches to remediation of children with ADHD.This disorder became an important international problem, independently of cultural and economic conditions of life, styles of education, learning systems with a prevalence of about 5% -7% in most cultures. Therefore better understanding of children suffering Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder could help these children, their parents and educators to develop efficient treatment plans and integrated approaches that are uniquely tailored to each individual child.




Contemporary Trends in ADHD Research


Book Description

With many children and adults affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, researchers strive to understand the underpinnings of ADHD and associated factors on both a basic and applied level. The goal of this volume is to explore some of the broad array of research in the field of ADHD. The 12 chapters cover a variety of topics as varied as postural control, endocrine dysfunction, juvenile justice, and academic outcomes. These chapters will provide valuable insights for students reading about ADHD for the first time, researchers wishing to learn about the latest advances, and practitioners seeking new insight in the field.




Stimulant Drugs and ADHD


Book Description

Stimulant drugs are widely used in the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. Hundreds of studies over the past 60 years have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving attention span, increasing impulse control, and reducing hyperactivity and restlessness. Despite widespread interest in these compounds, however, their mechanisms of action in the central nervous system have remained poorly understood. Recent advances in the basic and clinical neurosciences now afford the possibility of elucidating these mechanisms. The current volume is the first to bring this expanding knowledge to bear on the central question of why and how stimulants exert their therapeutic effects. The result is a careful, comprehensive, and insightful integration of material by well-known scientists that significantly advances our understanding of stimulant effects and charts a course for future research. Part I presents a comprehensive description of the clinical features of ADHD and the clinical response to stimulants. Part II details the cortical and subcortical neuroanatomy and functional neurophysiology of dopamine and norepinephrine systems with respect to the regulation of attention, arousal, activity, and impulse control and the effects of stimulants on these systems. Part III is devoted to clinical research, including recent studies of neuroimaging, genetics, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of stimulants, effects on cognitive functions, neurophysiological effects in humans with and without ADHD and in non-human primates, and comparison of stimulants and non-stimulants in the treatment of ADHD. Part IV is a masterful synthesis that presents alternative models of stimulant drug action and generates key hypotheses for continued research. The volume will be of keen interest to researchers and clinicians in psychiatry, psychology, and neurology, neuroscientists studying stimulants, and those pursuing development of new drugs to treat ADHD.







Handbook of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder


Book Description

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders of our time. The condition is defined by levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that are in impairing and developmentally inappropriate. Increasingly, there is a growing appreciation that for many individuals the disorder may persist into adulthood and be associated with significant social and economic burden. Conditions, such as ADHD, that are manifestly heterogeneous in terms of their clinical presentation, underlying neurobiology and treatment response, must be tackled on multiple fronts. This Handbook of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder provides a state of the art position on each of these fronts from leading clinicians and researchers from around the world. Broad in its scope and comprehensive in its detail, this book should be as useful to the student as it is to the experienced clinician or researcher.