adhd

Question 1

Treatment of adolescents

Answer 1

Half of children meet criteria for mental health disorder by age 18
Anxiety disorders have earliest onset (age 6)

Question 2

Psychological vulnerabilities of young children

Answer 2

No complex view of themselves with no stable sense of identity
Immediate threats disproportionately important to children
Lack of experience in dealing with major issues
More dependent on other people

Question 3

Prevalence of ADHD

Answer 3

ADHD not as common as specific phobias but diagnosed more due to parents being more likely to bring child in for ADHD based concerns due to the disturbances it causes
Has increased prevalence over time
Boys more likely to be diagnosed

Question 4

ADHD outside of adolescence

Answer 4

Half of American children will continue to meet criteria for ADHD in adulthood
Higher rates for male, divorced and unemployed individuals

Question 5

Causal factors in ADHD

Answer 5

Children with ADHD have smaller brain volumes - particularly in right frontal cortex volume
Brains mature three years slower than controls with most delays in areas involved in attention and impulsiveness

Question 6

Treatments and outcomes

Answer 6

Stimulants like Ritalin decrease overactivity and distractibility

Question 7

Ritalin

Answer 7

Can also reduce aggressiveness in children
Can lead to memory loss due to decreased blood flow to the brain

Question 8

Pemoline

Answer 8

Enhances cognitive processing
Fewer adverse side effects than Ritalin

Question 9

Strattera (Atomoxetine)

Answer 9

Selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor
Nonstimulant medication that can also cause jaundice

Question 10

Adderall

Answer 10

No advantage over Ritalin or Strattera

Question 11

Benefits of using medication

Answer 11

Lower risk of car accidents
Lower risk of substance use disorders in adulthood

Question 12

Behavioural interventions

Answer 12

Teaching organisation and planning skills
Parenting techniques that provide reinforcement for adaptive child behaviour
Academic interventions can include positive reinforcement

Question 13

Developing brain

Answer 13

Brain is only 90% developed by age 5

Question 14

What can ADHD lead to

Answer 14

Poor academic achievement
Low intelligence (may be due to lack of accomodations)
Immaturity
Substance abuse issues

Question 15

Pathophysiology of ADHD

Answer 15

Most probably a neurodevelopmental disorder with combination of genes and environment leading to ADHD

Question 16

Multimodal treatment

Answer 16

Symptoms always bounce back when treatment is removed
Ritalin pathway most affective
People can fluctuate in symptoms throughout their life