| ||
| ||
| Psychology Information | |
|
|
What Causes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
The most recent models that attempt to describe what is happening in the brains of people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder suggest that several areas of the brain may be affected by the disorder. They include the frontal lobes, the inhibitory mechanisms of the cortex, the limbic system, and the reticular activating system. Each of these areas of the brain is associated with various neurological functions. There are several areas of the brain potentially impacted, and there are several possible "types" of ADHD. Daniel Amen, a medical doctor using SPECT scans as identified six different types of ADHD, each with its own set of problems, and each different from the other "types."In our practice we used five different "types" of ADHD, identifying each "type" with a character from the Winnie the Pooh stories (Pooh is inattentive, Tigger is hyperactive, Eeyore is depressive, and so on). The frontal lobes help us to pay attention to tasks, focus concentration, make good decisions, plan ahead, learn and remember what we have learned, and behave appropriately for the situation. The inhibitory mechanisms of the cortex keep us from being hyperactive, from saying things out of turn, and from getting mad at inappropriate times, for examples. They help us to "inhibit" our behaviors. It has been said that 70% of the brain is there to inhibit the other 30%. The limbic system is the base of our emotions and our highly vigilant look-out tower. If over-activated, a person might have wide mood swings, or quick temper outbursts. He might also be "over-aroused," quick to startle, touching everything around him, hyper-vigilant. A normally functioning limbic system would provide for normal emotional changes, normal levels of energy, normal sleep routines, and normal levels of coping with stress. A dysfunctional limbic system results in problems with those areas. The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder might affect one, two, or all three of these areas, resulting in several different "styles" or "profiles" of children (and adults) with ADD ADHD. Learn more about the impact of ADHD on children and teens, treatment options for ADHD, and much more at the ADHD Information Library. Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
MORE RESOURCES:
Psychology - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
HypoManiacs Often Misunderstood Are you a Hypomaniac? If you are you have some definite advantages over others. Hypomaniacs are often superstars in their fields, but they are often misunderstood by those who work so hard to profile personalities and put individuals into neat little boxes. Morality As A Mental State INTRODUCTIONMoral values, rules, principles, and judgements are often thought of as beliefs or as true beliefs. Those who hold them to be true beliefs also annex to them a warrant or a justification (from the "real world"). The Attention Spanner After a long and patient wait in queue, you reached the post office counter. Just then, the peasant sauntered over and plunked himself in front of you. Synchronized Swimming Advantage for Twins The Olympic Contests for Synchronized Swimming are a testament to the natural human ability of telepathy. What we find in College and University Level synchronized swimmers thru observation and data of the top athletes is that those teams which have been long time friends seem to have a mind connection, which far surpasses generally accepted scientific knowledge. Traumas as Social Interactions ("He" in this text - to mean "He" or "She").We react to serious mishaps, life altering setbacks, disasters, abuse, and death by going through the phases of grieving. What is the Addictions Recovery Measurement System? As I climbed 15-feet on a wooden ladder to the top of an old platform, next to this wall of leathery gray flesh, I caught a good whiff of fresh animal dung that immediately cleared my sinuses. Attempting to hide my fear from my wife with a poker face, and already feeling a little queasy, we were then advised by an old man who held a hammer in his right hand, to step into a shaky bamboo cradle seat atop of this seemingly gentle 8000 lb mammoth giant. Creating A Winning Mindset Do you know anyone who always wins? Sure you know that person, everything just works out for them. They go into business and they are an instant success. What's the Problem: Introducing Solution Focus Pt 2 Again, many of us think we listen, yet we don't always "attend" to the person who is speaking to us. We are too busy doing other things! We are not being 100% attentive. Emotion is a Reaction to the Influence Each one of us is linked to the emotions whether by protecting self values or deep affectionate involvement to the objective. The "sense" is a gift to us to analyze the values of the personality and behave in accordance. Are All Dementias Alzheimer's? I'm surprised when some patients and caregivers confuse dementia and Alzheimer's as one and the same. Each time a family member is suffering from memory loss, the conclusion is always Alzheimer's. The Mind, Information, and Attitude Information is flowing to us at a great rate. The radio, television, the internet, advertising, newspapers and magazines are giving us information all day. Key Solution Focus Interviewing Skills There are several key Solution Focus interviewing skills that are indispensable in moving individuals from problem focus to solution focus.ExplorationExploring the meaning helpee is giving to words, situation, experience. The Myth of Mental Illness "You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird? So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing - that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. The Iron Mask - The Common Sources of Personality Disorders Do all personality disorders have a common psychodynamic source?To what stage of personal development can we attribute this common source?Can the paths leading from that common source to each of these disorders be charted?Will positive answers to the above endow us with a new understanding of these pernicious conditions?Acute AngerAnger is a compounded phenomenon. It has dispositional properties, expressive and motivational components, situational and individual variations, cognitive and excitatory interdependent manifestations and psychophysiological (especially neuroendocrine) aspects. Behavioral Manifestations of Alzheimer's Dementia Alzheimer's Dementia has a combination of cognitive and behavioral manifestations. Cognitive impairment is the core problem which includes memory deficits and at least one of the following: aphasia or language problem, agnosia or problems with recognition, apraxia or motor activity problem, and impairment in executive functioning (e. The Psychology of Torture There is one place in which one's privacy, intimacy, integrity and inviolability are guaranteed - one's body, a unique temple and a familiar territory of sensa and personal history. The torturer invades, defiles and desecrates this shrine. Precognition or Circadian Rhythm? The bodies natural clock or circadian rhythm seems to have sensors through the brain and body. It is a perfect set of clocks, which regulate our bodies and sync to our minds. Eating Disorders and the Narcissist Patients suffering from eating disorders binge on food and sometimes are both anorectic and bulimic. This is an impulsive behaviour as defined by the DSM (particularly in the case of BPD and to a lesser extent of Cluster B disorders in general). Randomness of Human Thought Random thought Sequence in the Human Mind. I want to comment on an article about Random Sequence in the Mathematical Association of America Newsletter in January 2002. Animal to Animal Telepathy There has been much study on Telepathy in the animal kingdom. Many have experienced telepathy from human to human.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
