Sona Binny
ISM- Period 6
Gevensleben, Holger, et al. “Is Neurofeedback an Efficacious Treatment for ADHD? A
Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111), 12 Jan. 2009,
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02033.x.
• This research was based on a clinical trial that was conducted to test the statistical
potency of neurofeedback in children with ADHD.
• Test Subjects: 102 children diagnosed with ADHD ranging from ages 8-12.
• Neurofeedback training can monitor the activity of the brain and it can often locate the
cause of a neurological issue or it’s location in the brain and could be used as a way to fix
or regulate some of these problems.
• Children were either assigned to do 36 hours of NF training, or they were given an
automated/computerized “attention skills training” (another source of NF training), and
behavior was recorded on several scales of ADHD. There was also a control group of
children provided with no treatment plans.
• Parent evaluations were considered, but there was a discretion stating that there could be
a possibility that it was a placebo effect.
• The scales were evaluated by the parents and teachers of the test subject.
• The behavior of the case subject was recorded, pre, during and post sessions.
• Improvements wee more significant in the group that used Neurofeedback therapy than in
the control group, according to the recorded scale.
• ADHD is also a known cause for “lower adaptive functioning” in adulthood, which may
lead to depression and anxiety in the future.
• Methylphenidate is so far the best treatment for ADHD.
• European clinics believe ADHD should be monitored using a multimodal method of
treatment, including support from family as well as cognitive and medical therapies.
• The goal of the NF training involving the two block of training is to reduce the activity in
the theta band, and improve the activity in the beta.
This source was very insightful and taught me a lot about this new method of treatment,
and how helpful it could be for others that are looking for an easier way to control their
ADHD and symptoms associated with it including disruptiveness, inattention and
hyperactivity.
Sona Binny
ISM 6th period
Choudhry, Zia, and Faisal A. Islam. “What Role Does Asthma Medication Have in ADHD or
Depression?” MDedge Psychiatry, 16 Apr. 2018,
www.mdedge.com/psychiatry/article/139050/adhd/what-role-does-asthma-medication-
have-adhd-or-depression.
• Asthma medications are showing patterns of correlation contributing to the rise of ADHD
and ODD.
• Lancet Psychiatry recently released a study or a clinical run to asses this correlation and
found it accurate, as the connection remained constant across the board for different
gender and ethnicities.
• The study was concluded using the data from a meta-analysis and a case study.
• It’s more prevalent in children than it is in adults
• Asthma agents and their medications may possibly affect the serotonin levels in the body,
therefore, altering their psychology.
• Most Asthma medications work as inhibitors that sit in the receptors to stop leukotrienes
for causing any constriction.
• Inhalers suppress “inflammatory genes” that are associated with asthma, but the
corticosteroids used in the inhaler is also proven to reduce levels in the body, which may
lead to potential depression.
• Asthma medication also alters the levels of cytokines, which play in important role in cell
signaling.
• Most patients with asthma have an elevated amount of plasma serotonin in their system,
but the medication reduces the serotonin.
• Awareness of this association will allow clinical professionals to diagnose illnesses early
and find better ways to treat them.
• People suffering from asthma that shows the symptoms for ADHD should visit a doctor
to discuss their treatment route as soon as possible.
I found this article really helpful because it was an easy read, and it went over the key
points that proved how asthma was inversely related to ADHD and ODD, and it utilized
credible sources such as the lancet psychiatry research findings to explain how the
statistics drawn from the data can be interpreted in context of the question.
Sona Binny
ISM 6th period
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosing ADHD.” WebMD, WebMD,
www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/diagnosing-adhd#1.
• There is no particular test to diagnose ADHD, but it’s diagnosed after an
individual show all the possible symptoms.
• ADHD must be diagnosed at least by the age of seven after consecutive
occurrence of symptoms for 6 months.
• There are 3 subtypes of ADHD: Primarily Inattentive, Primarily Hyperactive or
Combined subtype.
• People who can diagnose ADHD: “pediatricians, psychiatrists, and child
psychologists.”
• Symptoms include hyperactivity inattention, squirmy, careless and unable to
finish tasks.
• The theta/beta ratios are higher in kids with ADHD.
• There are other disorder and diseases that share similar symptoms with ADD
which includes Trauma, thyroid, lead toxicity, depression etc.
• There are a lot of psychological issues that comes with ADHD like forgetfulness,
low self-esteem, depressive thoughts, short temper etc.
• Therapy can help with the symptoms and exercise can help control it along with
ADHD medication, but there is no proven cure.
• About 60% of children with ADHD will still have it as an adult.
• ADD diagnosis in children increased by 42% from 2003 to 2011 in the United
States.
• Anyone over the age of 17, can be considered for the adult screening for ADHD.
• In adults, only 5 symptoms are needed instead of the 6 for children.
• Aside of the symptom scale of diagnosis to recognize each subtype other
qualifications such as setting, influence on work and school function etc. must be
considered.
• Every child with ADHD must be screened for anxiety, depression and other
disorders.
• ODD and CD should not be mistaken with ADHD, ODD is aggressive behavior
and attitude toward people the individual knows very well, and CD individuals
shows violent aggression towards others and social norms.
This website helped me understand more about ADHD in terms of its prevalence, methods of
diagnosis and helped me understand the hardships that a patient with ADHD might go through in
order to blend into society.
