Methamphetamine is widely believed to cause brain damage and cognitive impairment in users. But this claim may be wildly overblown, according to a new review of the research.
ADHD
New ADHD Guidelines Include Kids as Young as 4
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for diagnosing and treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers as young as 4. Previous guidelines, issued in 2000 and 2001, focused on …
The Healthland Podcast: How Steve Jobs Lived and Died, House M.D., and ADHD Drugs
Welcome back, and please remember to subscribe to this podcast for free on iTunes. That’s a poignant reminder this week, since it was Steve Jobs who launched iTunes. On the podcast this week, we talk about Jobs’ experimentation …
Study: Ritalin May Reverse the Effects of Anesthesia
Ritalin (methylphenidate), the stimulant drug commonly used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, may speed recovery from anesthesia, according to new research in rats that found that animals awakened from anesthesia …
The Secrets of Self-Control: The Marshmallow Test 40 Years Later
Ever wonder why your willpower fails you just when you need it most? The results of a new long-term study, which first began more than 40 years ago with the now-famous marshmallow test in preschoolers, may offer some clues.
Most Teens Taking Prescription Drugs Do It Right
Most students taking prescription medications for pain, sleep, anxiety or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not misuse the drugs, a new study finds. And proper use of these medications was not associated with a …
Family MattersParenting
Are Kids with ADHD More Likely to Get Hit By a Car?
Children with ADHD, by definition, are easily distracted and more prone to injuries. But a new study shows the condition could even be life-threatening since affected kids are more likely to be hit by a car when crossing the street.
Secondhand Smoke Linked to Learning Disabilities, ADHD in Kids
Kids who grow up among smokers are more likely than kids in smoke-free homes to suffer from a number of neurobehavioral disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities and conduct disorders.
Love and Addiction: Voles in Love Just Say No To Speed
While love doesn’t always conquer all, it can be a potent antidote to addiction, according to a growing body of research. The latest study on the matter examined male prairie vole behavior, finding that those that had bonded to a …
Developmental Disabilities, Including Autism and ADHD, Are on the Rise
One in six American children now has a developmental disability — a 17% increase over the past decade, driven largely by increases in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to government researchers.
A Proposed New Definition May Make ADHD Easier to Spot in Adults
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still thought of as a childhood condition, even while it persists into adulthood for many patients who are diagnosed as children. But now, psychiatrists say, a proposed new …
Does the ADHD Drug Shortage Herald a Crackdown on Stimulants?
With the Obama administration characterizing prescription drug misuse as this generation’s crack epidemic, something like this seemed fated to happen: patients, pharmacists and manufacturers are reporting a serious shortage of …
Environmental Toxins Cost Billions in Childhood Disease
Back in 2002, Philip Landrigan and a team of other researchers at Mount Sinai Medical School estimated the annual cost of four childhood conditions — lead poisoning, cancer, developmental disabilities and asthma — that could …
