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ADD. Your child has ADD. Such diagnosis appears more and more often during the last 25 years. What is ADD?
How does it affect brain? What are the ways to cope with it? In accordance with recent researches, 17 million people in the United States of America have Attention Deficit Disorder. 10 - 20 % of children in every school suffer from ADD. Teachers usually dont like such children and state they dont have learning skills.
According to Daniel G. Amen, M. D (using controversial SPECT brain scans), there are six types of Attention Deficit Disorder: Classic ADD The patients are disorganized, distract ible, restless, inattentive, impulsive, etc. Inattentive ADD The patients are sluggish, low self-esteem, inattentive. Over focused ADD The patients have trouble shifting attention, they are obsessive, frequently get stuck in loops of negative thoughts or behaviors, frequently behave op positionally and argumentatively (New Insights into ADD, p. 1) Temporal Lobe ADD The patients are aggressive; have dark thoughts, mood instability (New Insights into ADD, p. 1), they are irritable and inattentive. Limbic ADD The patients experience chronic low-grade depression, are negative, have low energy, and have frequent feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness (New Insights into ADD, p. 1) Ring of Fire ADD The patients are angry, irritable, overly sensitive to the environment, hyper verbal, extremely oppositional, and experience cyclic moodiness (New Insights into ADD, p. 1) How does brain SPECT scan acts?
Daniel G. Amen, M. D. explains that SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography. To utilize this technology, a radioactive isotope is bound to a substance that is taken up by the cells of the brain. This substance is then injected into the blood stream and special cameras are able to track the substance through the brain.
This allows professionals to see the workings of the brain in a variety of different scenarios. The brain activity can be seen during resting periods, reading or concentration periods and other activities. By comparing the brain imaging of different people, determinations can be made as to which areas of the brain may not be functioning optimally (Eileen Bailey, 2005, para. 3) ADD is a serious social problem. According to researches, 2. 2 - 18 % of American children suffer from ADD. Yet, Over-diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a big problem. There are some children who are diagnosed as having ADD ADHD that do not have it. (The ADHD Information Library, The Diagnosis, p. 1) What are the symptoms of ADD?
In accordance with Daniel G. Amen, M. D. (Attention Deficit Disorder, Diagnostic Criteria, 2005, para. 3 - 8), the main diagnostic criteria are as follows: 1. If a person have experienced at least six symptoms of inattention for at least six months to an inconsistent degree. a) A child is not able to focus attention to peculiar details and makes mistakes in any kind of activity (homework, class work, etc); b) Has difficulties focusing attention on activity; c) A teacher speaks to him but he doesnt listen to; d) Doesnt follow on orders / instructions ; e) Cannot organize his activity and tasks f) Doesnt like tasks that need mental effort (homework, schoolwork, etc); g) Looses his things (books, homework, toys, etc); h) Forgets his daily plans g) he / she is bored after a short period of time; h) a child often diverts his attention; 2. If a person have experienced at least six symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for at least six months to an inconsistent degree (Attention Deficit Disorder, Diagnostic Criteria, 2005, para. 3 - 8): a) The patient quite often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat; b) He also often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected; c) The child climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness); d) He has certain difficulties difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly; e) A child often acts as if "driven by a motor f) often talks excessively; g) He interrupts or intrudes on others (e.
g. , butts into conversations or games) h) a child is always astir; i) he / she cannot wait his turn; j) he / she interrupts the talk (or game) of other people All children have several of these symptoms during definite period of their life. The children, who suffer from ADD, have these symptoms more often (and the symptoms are noticed more distinctly), than majority of children of their age. Functional immaturity or disorders in work of cerebral cortex lays in the basis of ADD. Children with ADD have difficulties in reading and writing, they are not good in school, make a lot of mistakes and dont listen to the adults.
How does the attention works? During the last years we have possibility to look inside our brains when cerebral cortex works in order to understand mechanism of its functioning. Scientists observed group of people with technologies of magnetic- resonance tomography. They ask people to fulfill task, which demands concentration of attention. Tomography registers increased activity in frontal parts of cerebral hemispheres. This part of cerebral takes part in processes, responsible for attention.
When people with ADD try to fulfill the identical task, computer registers activity in several parts of cerebral at the same time. It seems that brains cannot switch off unnecessary parts of cerebral hemispheres and concentrate energy in necessary place. Such impossibility to concentrate attention when necessary is defined as Attention Deficit Disorder. Such people are not able to concentrate their efforts and attention on one, as usual, quite monotonous and not interesting task. Brain of people with ADD needs constant strong irritants sensations. The symptoms of ADD frequently cause a person to be inefficient on their job. (Dr.
Amen, 1994, p. 1) Children with ADD can watch television and play computer games the whole day through. At the same time they are not able to make grammar exercises or listen to explanations of teacher during the lecture for 45 minutes. They need constant emotional doping. Probably, it is explanation why do they like risky kinds of sports and dangerous games. ADDs peculiarity of brain can be interpreted as advantage in situation when person needs to be in the thick of things or to do several tasks at the same time.
Adults with attention deficit disorder can be good at show-business, marketing, politics and PR. Disorders in adequate processing information cause definite changes in child's brains (definite visual, sound and emotional stimuli become excessive, they cause anxiety and irritation). Genetic mechanisms play an important role as well. Families where children, suffer from ADD, often have relatives, with such disorders in their childhood. Unfavorable factors during pregnancy period and accouchement play the leading roles for ADD (approximately in 60 - 70 % of diseases). Research, published in the issue dd.
July-August in Child Development found out correlation between level of anxiety, reported by women during their pregnancy period, and future problems in behavior of their children. Researchers from Level Catholic University (Belgium) studied group of women (71 women) during their pregnancy period, and met them eight years later. The research included reports of women reported related to level of their anxiety during pregnancy. It was compared to behavior of their children. Researchers discovered that 70 % of children of women, who experienced stresses during pregnancy, suffered from ADD/ADHD, anxiety or had problems with behavior. Researchers from Wales University demonstrated that women's smoking during pregnancy is one of the most important environmental factors, which can be the reason of children's ADD.
Scientists consider that smoking can stipulate development of ADD syndrome for those children, who aren't predisposed to this disease genetically. American scientists studied frequency of ADD syndrome for twins, born by smoking mothers. Scientists noted that ADD is one of main reasons of anti-social and deviant childrens behavior. Unfavorable factors of accouchement are as follows: - prematurely born child (weight < 2. 500 grams); - premature birth, fulminant or lingering accouchement; - stimulation of accouchement. A newborn child who has any other nervous system disorders has a high risk of ADD. Conflicts in the family, intolerance and excessive strictness to children influence the disease as well.
Infections and different kinds of intoxication (during the first years after born) also can be the cause, whereas in spite of existing opinions, different kinds of trauma of cervical vertebra cannot cause ADD. Food toxins and allergens (high quantity of carbohydrates in nutrition causes worsening of attention) relate to risk factors valid for both periods (during mothers pregnancy and first years of childs life) Already in 1973 doctor Ben Feingold, pediatrician and allergologist proposed a theory, according to which food, containing salicylic substances (components of food dye and artificial food flavouring's / adding's ) is the main reason of ADD. D-r Feingold suggested that decreasing quantity of sugar and artificial food supplements can improve health of a child. Additional researches confirm his suppositions. Nevertheless, plenty of doctors prefer prescribing to children with ADD drastic medicines, although their side effects are not examined completely.
Anxious, hyperactive behaviors, disorder of attention (ADD) all of them are the result of chemical mis balance of cerebral cortex. At the same time, modern food products contain more than 5. 000 artificial supplements and flavorings, which negatively influence delicate neuro chemical processes. By opinion of researchers, in each case of ADD long-term examinations should be done. Only after researches doctors will be able to state, which food additions are excessive, and which components should be added. D-r Melvin Gorbach systematizes conclusions of numerous researches and states that without any doubt, nutrition, food allergy and ADD are correlated. A lot of doctors consider that refined sugar is the main reason of childrens ADD.
Experiments show that this conclusion doesnt have any grounds. Together with well-balanced nutrition refined sugar is quite harmless. Doctors found out that sugar completely harmless, being consumed with proteins and starches, but when a child eats sugar only with starches (for example, in sweets), such usage can cause ADD, even in case the child didnt have any risk for it. Other researches (1984) consider: hyperactive children have less weight than healthy children of the same age. They congest food more quickly, so probably, they need bigger quantity of proteins. The more carbohydrates (in correspondence to proteins in everyday nutrition) contained nutrition of group of children (4 - 7 year-old children suffering from ADD), the more uncontrollable and impetuous their behavior was.
So, majority of doctors recommend decreasing quantity of products containing maximal quantity of carbohydrates in nutrition of children, suffering from ADD. According to laboratory analysis organism of ADD children contains high quantities of lead and aluminum, whereas the children have insufficient quantity of Zink, Magnesium, Calcium and useful fatty acids. Lead-poisoning causes heavy disorders of nervous system and becomes the reason of different behavior problems (as well as ADD). In particular, memory is affected most of all as well as skills for studying and comprehension of new material in school. Even small quantity of lead in blood causes mental changes.
Symptoms of lead-poisoning are: attention disorder, hyperactive behavior, decrease of intellectual skills, hyper-aggressiveness, etc. Lack of Zink causes lack of Calcium and Magnesium, - this makes childrens organism more sensitive to lead-poisoning everything is correlated. So, toxins and intoxication of childrens organism can increase ADD among children. The first diagnosis of ADD was made by help of positron-emissive tomography.
The researches have shown that this disease is accompanied by deficit of neuro-transmitters (deficit of dopamine, in particular). Deficit of dopamine is concentrated in frontal parts of cerebrum in frontal part and orbit-frontal cerebral cortex. So, we can draw an analogy between narcotism, where we can show exactly the definite part of cerebral cortex where the dependence is being formed. Speaking about ADD we also can speak about a place of pathology localization I want to focus attention on new research and new approach on curing ADD. There is an attempt of medical treatment without medicines. Scientists developed method of computed neurobioregulation, which is based on methods of self-regulations.
They consider that cerebral cortex has its own bio electrical activity by means of universal mechanism inverse bio-connection. Doctors make electro-encephalogram monitoring, defining the image of electrical activity of brains. Such activity is stipulated by sudden suppression of beta-rhythm (the rhythm, which is responsible for attention). People, who suffer from ADD, have special characteristics of electro-encephalogram monitoring.
Frequency spectrum of their electro-encephalogram seems to be set left, to the side of alpha- and theta-rhythms, mainly low-volt rhythms. The treatment consists of two stages. The first stage is directed to move electro-encephalogram to side of beta-rhythms. The second stage has to regulate rhythm in senso-motor zone (SMR).
This stage is important to reduce hyperactivity. Such medical treatment is quite wearisome for a child because he has to sit quietly during 5 - 7 minutes. The doctors decided to make this procedure more interesting and added game component to beta-training. A child sits near computer and plays game. He can win or loose, gaining high scores. However, he can win only when he will learn how to regulate his bio-electrical activity of cerebral cortex, moving it to the left (to increase level of beta-rhythms).
The more patient will want to win, the better he learns to regulate his bio-electrical activity of cerebral cortex and reaches condition of beta-rhythms. Scientists consider that such system of psychological trainings will be very popular in America. They notice that the system is not so effective without games. Several years ago American psychologist Richard Des Granpre wrote a book Nation of Ritalin. He analyzed information and came to conclusion that 4 million of American children take Ritalin, whereas in several years their quantity will redouble (15 % of all children). What are medical treatments?
Either Ritalin or Dexedrine or ADDerall can be expected to work very well for the "space cadet" ADD kids. Stimulants (including caffeine) are great for "inattention" or "brain fog" symptoms. We would estimate that 75 %- 80 % of Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD Inattentive Type kids would respond to low doses of Ritalin very nicely. For them, Ritalin is a very easy treatment intervention. (The ADD Information Library Website, Treatment Options for ADD/ADHD, p. 1) Ritalin is a psycho stimulating substance belonging to amphetamines. It influences direct chemical processes of cerebral cortex and causes side effects such as headaches, insomnia, loss of appetite, etc. When a person stops using this medicine, the symptoms of disease increase drastically.
It means that you need to take Ritalin on permanent basis. Thats why when a person takes prescribed medicines, he solves problem temporary, instead of removing symptoms of disease. Psychologists recommend to children with ADD/ADHD symptoms to change school environment. They propose small quantities of children in class, more frequent breaks between lectures, alternation of physical and mental activity.
The recommendations of Daniel G. Amen M. D. include education, medication, psychotherapy, parent training, couples counseling, family therapy, hypnosis, EMDR and biofeedback. (Dr.
Amen Clinic Website, 2005, para. 1) Bibliography: Daniel G. Amen, M. D. Attention Deficit Disorder.
Diagnostic Criteria. Retrieved February 11, 2005. web Daniel G. Amen, M.
D. Attention Deficit May Lead To Trouble At Work. Retrieved February 11, 2005. web Daniel G. Amen, M. D.
New Insights into ADD. Retrieved February 11, 2005 web Dr. Amen Clinic Website. Treatments Utilized by the Clinic.
Retrieved February 11, 2005. web Eileen Bailey. Dr. Daniel Amen had identified six subtypes of ADD through Brain SPECT Imaging. Retrieved February 11, 2005. web The ADHD Information Library Website, The Diagnosis of ADD ADHD.
Retrieved February 11, 2005. web The ADD Information Library Website, Treatment Options for ADD/ADHD. Expectations and Drawbacks. Retrieved February 11, 2005 web
Free research essays on topics related to: cerebral hemispheres, lead poisoning, cerebral cortex, diagnostic criteria, attention deficit disorder
Research essay sample on Attention Deficit Disorder Cerebral Cortex
