Since I posted this blog entry on recent research from neuroscientist Nora Volkow and colleagues, more detailed stories interpreting the study’s findings have become available. In particular, this report from MedPage today targets clinicians. That site also includes an audio interview with Dr. Volkow, below (despite a strong Spanish accent, Dr. Volkow does a good job of making complex concepts understandable to the layperson, in my opinion).
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Tags: AD/HD, dopamine research, neurotransmitters, Nora Volkow, science of ADHD
Two videos went “viral” among my Facebook friends this week. I share them with you here because who living in these rancorous times couldn’t use a little sweet-natured humor.
More germane to this blog’s brain-based focus, however, I was struck by how each video demonstrated qualities of empathy. Yes, I know. Recently, some politicians have publicly scorned empathy – perhaps because they mistakenly equate it with weakness. Yet, as a third video explains, leading neuroscientists say that our society depends on empathy. In other words, the smart money is on nourishing empathy, not castigating it.
First, consider the dancing baby. Unable to stand without support and obviously unschooled in “isolation” moves (moving head side to side), that baby Beyonce wannabee still gets down. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: dancing babies, empathy, empathy in primates, Frans de Waal, human empathy, marco iacoboni, mirror neurons, Robert Lee Hotz
Quick! Catch this excellently informative and entertaining documentary on ADHD before it goes offline 9/25/09.
In case you’re wondering about the headline (Action! Camera! Lights!), it’s an homage to “Fire! Ready! Aim!” — a tongue-in-cheek description of ADHD-related impulsivity.
Rick Green and Patrick McKenna
About the film: Canadian comedy legend Patrick McKenna is after the truth. “Everything you think you know about A.D.D. is wrong.” In this one hour documentary he talks to researchers, specialists and doctors about A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.. He also chats with ordinary Canadians & Americans who are directly dealing with the challenges of this common problem. Interwoven with these insights, Patrick shares his own life story and his struggle with undiagnosed and untreated A.D.H.D, and now his success taking it on Adult A.D.D..
Read more at the website, including a transcript of the film. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ADD and Loving It, Ava Green, Patrick McKenna, Rick Green
Thanks to Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI-TV for airing this well-balanced segment during ADHD Awareness Week, and thanks to Dancing with the Stars star Karina Smirnoff and the amazing Kavanaugh family for sharing their stories. (Oh, I make a small cameo appearance, drawn from a 30-minute interview with Health producer Dawn Heefner. Astute, intelligent questions all!)
PHILADELPHIA, PA.; September 22, 2009 (WPVI) — Attention deficit disorders are common among children. But few people know that they affect anywhere from 4 to 16% of American adults too – though most don’t know it. But identifying the disorder can be a big step in learning how to live a good life with AD/HD.
Karina Smirnoff moves across the dance floor in “Dancing With the Stars” with a precision that shows hours & hours of practice.
That’s not easy for someone with attention deficit disorder – ADD….
Continue reading at KPVI’s website, and PLEASE leave a note of appreciation there for this story.
Tags: ADHD Awareness Week, Adult ADHD, Dancing with the Stars, Karina Smirnoff, Philadelphia, WPVI
Okay, the headlines this week may not come as news to us. But, following the recent ADHD Hall of Shame entry, science-based reportage comes as welcome relief. The following news sources, among others, report the latest study by NIDA Director Nora Volkow and colleagues showing that, well, ADHD is real. Read all about it.
Here’s a sampling of the breaking headlines, followed by the press release from the researcher:
- BBC News: ADHD Brain Chemistry Clue Found
US researchers have pinned down new differences in the brain chemistry of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They found ADHD patients lack key proteins which allow them to experience a sense of reward and motivation. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: AD/HD, ADHD and obesity, ADHD is Real, ADHD medications and drug abuse, brain chemicals, brain's reward system, dopamine, dopamine receptors, dopamine reward pathway, dopamine transporters, Gina Pera, motivation, Nora Volkow, PET scans
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