Research is showing that music and musical training can have positive impacts on cognitive mechanisms that help ADHD individuals be more attentive and less distracted while performing demanding tasks. Here are some ways you can use music to help your ADHD child be calmer and more productive.
The results of a new researchers study show that trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS), administered during sleep, is both effective and safe for treating ADHD in children. The study concludes that the treatment helps reduce behavioral symptoms of ADHD and increases activity in brain circuits that control hyperactivity. These results indicate the strong potential of TNS as an ADHD therapy.
ADHD is most often talked about in the context of problems it can cause – related to distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. But new research is showing that the ADHD brain can be particularly effective at three types of cognition that form the basis of creative thinking: divergent thinking, conceptual expansion and overcoming knowledge constraints. In a world where innovation and creativity are more highly prized, the ADHD mind can be a valuable asset.
Previous studies have shown that exercise has a positive effect on attention for individuals with ADHD. Most of thees studies have focused on measuring improvement in attention following exercise. A new study shows that attention is substantially improved during exercise. These results, if validated by additional studies, offer the prospect that incorporating exercise into tasks at school and work, can help improve an ADHD individual’s overall attention and cognitive performance.
The landscape of ADHD diagnosis and treatment continues to shift as our understanding of the condition improves. Here are some of the latest facts about ADHD reported by the CDC and other organizations. As these facts show, ADHD is a serious medical condition that merits more investment in research and treatment.
Does having ADHD put you at higher risk of dying prematurely? Recent research suggests having ADHD can significantly shorten your life. Dr. Russell Barkley, an ADHD expert, has cast this as a serious public health issue that needs to be addressed through better education, evidence-based treatment interventions and lifetime monitoring. The importance and urgency of addressing ADHD as a public health concern have become higher as more children are diagnosed with ADHD.
Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal, natural variation in the human genome. Today, most organizations are familiar with the advantages they can achieve by fostering diversity in the backgrounds, disciplinary training, gender, culture, and other individual qualities of employees. As our understanding of the human brain expands, the wisdom of neurodiversity in all areas of human endeavor seems destined to become a recognized essential ingredient of innovation and achievement.
Science is providing us with greater insight into the neurological factors that govern ADHD. If you have ADHD and want to make sense of your behaviors, it is important to understand the neurological differences in the ADHD brain that underlie those behaviors. Since ADHD behaviors are frequently mislabeled and misjudged by society, there is some comfort in knowing that there are neurological explanations for sometimes incomprehensible behaviors.
A new genomic study of families whose members had ADHD showed they all had specific features in certain genes. The identification of such patterns may help improve the diagnosis of ADHD. Genetically based diagnosis of ADHD could provide earlier detection and treatment. This is especially critical now that 10% of children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with ADHD.
New research on how we pay attention to things in our environment could shed new light on ADHD. Brains normally shift the focus of attention about 4 times per second. This prevents us from focusing too much on something at the cost of putting ourselves in danger. The ADHD brain, on the other hand, can become more easily locked in a state of either hyperfocus or high distractability.