Patient records of 48 children with ADD/ADHD who had sustained a mild TBI were compared to a control group of 45 age-matched patients without ADD/ADHD who had also sustained a mild TBI:
• 25% of the patients with ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 56% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 24.9 weeks
• 2% of the control group without ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 84% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 7.2 weeks.
What a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tells Us
According to these findings, children with ADD/ADHD who sustain a mild TBI experience a greater level of disability and need (on average) more than three times as long to recover.
These findings beg the question: Are rehabilitative efforts less effective for children with ADD/ADHD and TBI?
With this question in mind, the study authors make the following recommendations:
• Rethink letting children engage in sports and hobbies with increased risk of sustaining a TBI (football, soccer, hockey, boxing, cheerleading, riding a bike without a helmet).
• Physicians treating mild TBI cases in children with ADD/ADHD may need to adjust treatment plans, as more intensive treatment and longer rehabilitation may be required.
• Families of children with ADD/ADHD with mild TBI should be counseled accordingly about expected outcomes.
More evidence that the brain is both delicate and resilient!
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life, give us a call at 1-888-288-9834 or click here to ask a question.
An exciting study from MIT, published in the journal, Brain, looked at brain activity differences using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in adults who had recovered from typical childhood ADD/ADHD and those who had not.
What Does This Mean?
The study participants were scanned in a resting, or unfocused state to reveal the basic functional architecture of the brain. Researchers looked for activity differences within the default-mode network: a network of brain regions that are active when the brain is not focused on visual stimuli from the outside world.
The default-mode network is believed to generate spontaneous thoughts during daydreaming; its activity is associated with self-reflective thought, retrieving memories, creativity, envisioning the future, and gauging others’ perspectives.
Researchers found that adults who had recovered from childhood ADD/ADHD showed a distinctive synchrony of activity in the default-mode network.
“Their brains now look like those of people who never had ADHD,” said Aaron Mattfeld, the study’s lead author.
ADD/ADHD
Those who still had ADD/ADHD did not show synchrony within the default-mode network—meaning they stayed in daydreaming mode—perhaps contributing to intensified problems with forethought and judgment.
Additionally, when people without ADD/ADHD perform tasks that require focus, the default-mode network is automatically suppressed while the task-positive network takes over, allowing the person to successfully carry out goal-oriented tasks. If this reciprocal relationship degrades, the ability to focus declines.
The Research Findings
The MIT researchers will use these fMRI findings to investigate how medications act on the brain’s default-mode network, in effort to better target treatment for the 40% of ADD/ADHD people who do not respond well to the first drug they receive.
Yet again, the use of brain imaging has paved the way for more targeted treatment plans for people with ADD.
We Can Help
Learn more about signs of ADD in adults and take our free online ADD questionnaire to determine if ADD is likely, and if so, what type.
ADD is not a single or simple diagnosis and no one treatment method will work for everyone. At Amen Clinics, we can help you understand how your brain works and will work with you to create a targeted, more effective treatment plan that goes beyond the use of stimulant medications alone. Call us at 1-888-288-9834 or click here to ask a question.
What do think of when you hear the word “stress?” Probably something negative. And, yes, stress is, like so many things in life, a two-edged sword in the sense that, in some settings, stress keeps us alert and enhances some aspects of performance. Yet chronic stress is the dark flip side, and typically arises in situations involving emotional pressure, which an individual feels they have no control over or escape from.
Chronic Stress & Bullying
For many people, chronic stress begins in childhood with being bullied. Scientists have discovered that getting picked on, or bullied, not only impacts emotional and social functioning, but can also have biological consequences that stretch into adulthood.
What Research Says
In fact, in a multi-university study, researchers found that c-reactive protein, a biomarker (or telltale biological signal) of low-grade inflammation, was significantly higher in individuals who had been bullied and remained so into adulthood. Elevated c-reactive protein is a risk factor for various chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease.
As most of us know from our own school days, children who “stand out” in any way are appealing targets to bullies. Among those who attract the attention of bullies are classmates with ADD/ADHD. In an article titled Bullying at School: Is Your ADHD Kid a Victim?, child psychologist Steven Richfield noted that, “It is heartbreaking to learn that your attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) child has become the victim of a bully. And unfortunately, some children are at greater risk of being bullied because of their ADHD.
An inappropriate, or impulsive remark blurted out for the entire class to hear can attract the attention of a bully. And an impulsive retort by the ADHD student to a bully’s provocation may escalate the situation.”
ADD & Bullying
Amen Clinics has spent decades studying and analyzing ADD, and has helped many children with the condition who have been bullied. We have found that impulsive outbursts by those with ADD oftentimes serve as a way for them to get an emotional reaction out of others, sometimes angry, that provide them with needed brain stimulation.
Of course, no child with ADD truly enjoys or welcomes being bullied or stressed out. The solution? Get a handle on the ADD; that is, change and heal the sufferer’s brain.
It is important to note that ADD is not a single brain problem with a “one size fits all” remedy.
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life, give us a call at 1-888-288-9834 or tell us more online.
Why does it seem like there are never enough hours in the day? From day to night, work to family, personal goals, and endless to-do lists, we’re a nation of on-the-go people. We all want to be more productive, but that requires more focus and more energy, especially with a child with ADD.
Here are 10 positive ways to guide behavior of ADD children:
1. Relationship is key.
With a good parent-child relationship, almost any form of discipline will work. Relationships require two things: time and willingness to listen.
2. Teach children from your own real–life experiences.
3. When a child meets your expectations, be sure to notice him or her.
If you never reinforce good behavior, you’re unlikely to get much of it.
4. Notice the behaviors that you like in your child ten times more than the behaviors you don’t like.
This teaches them to notice what they like about themselves, rather than grow up with a critical self-image.
5. Children live up to the labels we give them.
Be careful of the nicknames and phrases you use to describe your children.
6. Never discipline a child when you’re out of control.
Take a time-out before you lose your cool.
7. Remember the words, “firm but kind.”
Try to balance them at the same time.
8. Have swift, clear consequences for broken rules, enforced in a matter-of-fact and unemotional way.
Nagging and yelling are extremely destructive, ineffective, and tend to be addictive for the ADD child.
9. Do not yell at, hit, or berate an ADD child.
The more emotionally intense you get, the more they will make you get emotionally intense.
10. Parents need time for themselves.
Parents who are drained do not have much left that is good for their children.
We Can Help
ADD is not a single or simple diagnosis and no one treatment method will work for everyone. At Amen Clinics, we can help you understand your brain and create a treatment plan that is targeted to your brain’s unique needs. We have identified 7 types of ADD—and each requires a different treatment plan because of the diverse brain systems involved. Each of the ADD subtypes has its own set of symptoms as a result of the abnormal blood flow patterns in the brain, but for the most part, they all share the same core symptoms.
To learn more about ADD/ADHD, you can begin with our ADD Type Test. Take the 4-minute confidential test to discover you, or your loved one’s ADD Type and get a personalized overview on what to do about it.
Our Care Center is experienced in addressing your concerns and helping get you or your loved one on the path to wellness. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more online to schedule an appointment.
After working with tens of thousands of patients and their brain SPECT scans, we know that ADD is not a “one-size-fits-all” issue.
At Amen Clinics, we have identified many unique types of ADD within the brain; all of which respond to the same treatments in very different ways.
ADD + Anxiety
We’ve seen the combination of anxiety and ADD symptoms occurring together more frequently — and when they do, the symptoms of ADD become magnified. The frequency of this pattern led us to discover a 7th ADD brain type, appropriately named Anxious ADD.
People with Anxious ADD have most of the hallmark ADD symptoms, plus:
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Tension
• Predicting the worst
• Fear of being judged
• Freezing during anxiety-provoking situations, such as test taking
• Suffering the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as headaches or stomach aches
What is Anxious ADD?
Anxious ADD is very different from the other types, such as Classic ADD, where people tend to be excitement or conflict seeking. Although both experience the same underlying ADD symptoms, Classic ADD types tend to have lower levels of anxiety that make them more “fearless” and get them in hot water, where the Anxious types avoid conflict like the plague.
Without looking at the brain, traditional diagnostic methods may focus on the anxiety symptoms exclusively, missing the underlying ADD all together. When left improperly diagnosed and ineffectively treated, ADD will continue to cause problems in a person’s life, making the anxiety issues that much worse.
Instead of simply prescribing medication in response to a cluster of symptoms, The Amen Clinics Method includes a custom-tailored combination of treatments, all geared toward optimizing the specific ADD brain type and reprogramming the person’s life.
At Amen Clinics, we can help you or your family overcome the challenges of living with ADD, while providing treatment options that address more than just symptoms. Our experienced clinical staff will assess all areas of your biological, psychological, social, and spiritual needs with our 4 Circles Approach before beginning treatment with brain SPECT imaging or any other interventions. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more to schedule an appointment. Comprised of around 80% water, the brain is very soft, with a consistency similar to soft butter or custard. It’s protected by a hard skull and surrounded by fluid, yet there are many bony edges and ridges inside the skull; some of them as sharp as knives. These ridges can easily damage the brain during head trauma.
Sports & Your Brain
We must reiterate that your child’s brain was not created to withstand all the bell-ringers and hard knocks from tackle football, soccer headers, and hockey, among others.
If you love your child’s brain, and especially if you have a child with ADD or learning problems, please educate them about risk-prevention and if possible, don’t let them play these brain-injuring sports. The symptoms of a brain injury can be very similar to the symptoms of ADD or ADHD, therefore it’s most important to get a proper diagnosis when you notice that something is wrong.
Unquestionable Proof
Not only did we conduct the world’s largest study on brain damage in NFL players, more than 4,500 former players sued the NFL, seeking concussion-related compensation and alleging that the NFL concealed the risks of long-term brain damage. The settlement was $765 million dollars – yet the NFL will neither admit liability nor that the players’ injuries were caused by football.
From 2009-2012, Amen Clinics performed the world’s largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on active and retired professional football players because we had a high suspicion that many players suffered with the effects of chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The results of our NFL study were very clear:
• A very high percentage of our players had evidence of TBI patterns on their SPECT scans and showed symptoms of it – there was a high rate of depression, dementia, obesity, and ADD-like symptoms among them.
• 81% of the players complained of attention problems and showed concentration problems on the psychological testing that we performed.
The good news came from the second part of this study, where we taught players how to care for their brains and gave them specific nutritional supplements.
• 80% of our players experienced significant benefit, including improvements in mood, attention, motivation, and sleep.
This shows that even those who have suffered brain injury can still have hope – as there is a very high potential for recovery on a brain-smart program.
Treatment is Possible
Nobody knows exactly how many blows to the head it takes to cause problems, yet studies have shown that it takes longer for children to recover from a second concussion if it follows soon after a first, and that once someone has a concussion they’re more likely to experience more.
Many brain injuries go untreated because the person did not lose consciousness, so keep an eye out for these symptoms and seek medical attention right away if you suspect trauma:
• Feeling drowsy or having a hard time waking up.
• Not thinking clearly, feeling spacey, or acting confused.
• Headache or the feeling of pressure in the head.
• Memory and mood changes.
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we want to help you and your children heal brain injuries before they affect your life. Call us today at 888-288-9834, or tell us more about your concerns.
Research has found that men diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood have significantly worse functional outcomes as adults compared to men without the disorder.
Why?
Since functional outcomes are defined as “the cost of ADHD in terms of real-life adaptations and managing the demands of adulthood”, these findings really emphasize the importance of identifying ADHD symptoms in patients of all ages.
What Research Says
A 33-year follow-up study conducted by investigators at the Child Study Center at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City showed that men who were diagnosed with ADHD as children had worse educational, occupational, economic, and social outcomes compared with non-ADHD comparison participants.
Led by Rachel G. Klein, PhD, the researchers also found higher rates of divorce, ongoing ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, and substance use disorders as well as more hospitalizations and incarcerations.
The Findings
“Our findings confirm that men diagnosed with ADHD as children had multiple disadvantages throughout their lifetime,” Dr. Klein said in a statement. “It’s essential that we monitor children with ADHD through adolescence and continue to treat them to help offset issues that can extend into adulthood,” she added.
To examine the long-term outcomes in this patient population, the investigators followed 135 men who were diagnosed with ADHD at a mean age of 8 years and a comparison group of 136 men not diagnosed with childhood ADHD. The average age at follow-up was 41 years.
At 33-year follow-up, results revealed that only 3.7% of affected men had academic degrees higher than high school diplomas, compared with 29.4% of comparator control participants. Further, those with ADHD as children also had lower occupational status levels and relatively poorer socioeconomic status compared with control participants.
Men with Childhood ADHD
Men with childhood ADHD also had higher rates of ongoing ADHD, at 22.2% vs 5.1% for the comparison group. The authors note, however, that ADHD symptoms in the comparison group may have emerged during adulthood.
Both antisocial personality disorder and substance abuse disorder were also more frequent in men with childhood ADHD. However, the groups did not differ in the frequency of ongoing mood or anxiety disorders.
“Difficulties with substance use, academic underachievement, and relationship issues — all of those are already there in adolescence, so it speaks to the importance of addressing these problems in adolescence because they have lifelong consequences,” said Dr. Rostain.
He noted that one of the issues not addressed in the study was how much treatment ADHD men received and what percentage of patients continued treatment at any point in time. In fact, these men were diagnosed in the 1970s, when it was believed stimulants were addictive, so treatment with stimulants was discontinued by the time the children reached adolescence, he noted.
How We Can Help
If you or a loved one is suffering from any of the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, The Amen Clinics Method of integrative psychiatric care can help. Using innovative and personalized care, our outcomes consistently demonstrate improvement for patients – including many who have tried and failed prior treatment.
Our Full Evaluation of your biological/psychological/social/spiritual history, coupled with two brain SPECT imaging scans (at rest and at concentration), cognitive testing, and clinical assessment is designed to address your unique needs and offer targeted treatment options. We invite you to call today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. Do you ever “zone out” during conversations or find it difficult to pay attention for long periods of time? Are you easily distracted when trying to focus on the task at hand? Is your work station or home cluttered and it seems like you can never find what you are looking for? Do you feel restless and find it difficult to calm down?
If you answered yes to any combination of these, you might be suffering from one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adults.
What is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)?
Attention deficit disorder (ADD), often referred to as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is the most common psychiatric disorder affecting between 5-10% of the population. ADD is characterized by persistent short attention span, distractibility, disorganization, procrastination and often problems with hyperactivity or restlessness, forethought, judgment and impulse control.
Having untreated ADD affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life and has been associated with school underachievement, family conflict, drug abuse, legal difficulties and poor work performance. ADD is involved with low self-esteem, chronic stress, failure, and even suicide.
Treatment for ADD
The standard treatment for ADD in both children and adults is stimulant medications, such as Ritalin or Adderall. These medications are helpful for many people, but they also make many others with typical ADD worse. Sometimes negative reactions to these medications can be extreme, such as hallucinations, violent outbursts, volatile temperaments, psychosis and suicidal behavior.
At Amen Clinics, our diagnosis and treatment of ADD/ADHD focuses on the premise that ADD was not a single or simple disorder. Just as there are many different causes of many conditions, there are different brain SPECT patterns in ADD patients.
How We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we are dedicated to improving the lives of every patient and family we serve through education, the latest advances in neuroimaging, laboratory testing, and individualized treatment plans. We use the least toxic, most effective treatments for our patients, and use a wide variety of interventions from natural supplements, medications, dietary interventions and targeted forms of psychotherapy.
SPECT Imaging
As part of our evaluation process we use brain SPECT imaging, in addition to clinical interviews, diagnostic checklists and laboratory studies when appropriate.
If you or a loved one is suffering from any of the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, The Amen Clinics Method of integrative psychiatric care can help. Using innovative and personalized care, our outcomes consistently demonstrate improvement for patients – including many who have tried and failed prior treatment.
Our Full Evaluation of your biological/psychological/social/spiritual history, coupled with two brain SPECT imaging scans (at rest and at concentration), cognitive testing, and clinical assessment is designed to address your unique needs. We invite you to call today, 888-288-9834 or tell us more online.
