IUBio

Brain clues to attention disorder

John H. johnh at faraway.com.au
Fri Nov 21 07:59:31 EST 2003


Actually I iterated the same point to some friends, that the changes seen
may reflect under utilisation as a consequence of ADHD. Moreover, the
changes noted in this article do not appear to take into account the
hyperactivity element. I'm rather ignorant about ADHD but suspect the
midbrain is the region to look at (caudate\putamen), Nacc, or VTA seem more
probable.

Hobby horses are fun except when they kick you out of the saddle.

John H.

"Matthew Kirkcaldie" <Matthew.Kirkcaldie at removethis.newcastle.edu.au> wrote
in message
news:Matthew.Kirkcaldie-68C229.17514721112003 at seagoon.newcastle.edu.au...
> In article <3fbd9960 at dnews.tpgi.com.au>,
>  "John H." <johnh at faraway.com.au> wrote:
>
> > Another myth bites the dust, though the evidence of ADHD being a real
> > condition has rarely been in dispute by those who read the research.
> > Hopefully this finding will further our understanding of this condition,
> > which I have no hope of understanding.
> >
> >
> > John H.
> >
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3284629.stm
> >
> > Scientists have found differences in the brains of children with
> > attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
> > University of California Los Angeles researchers found some areas of the
> > brains of the children were smaller, and but others had more grey
matter.
> >
> > .....
>
> London cabbies have different grey matter volumes in the hippocampus
> than matched controls.  As far as I know, nobody has used this to argue
> that cabdriving is genetically controlled, or that being a taxi driver
> is a "real condition".
>
> My point being, if a child behaves consistently differently, or is given
> neuroactive drugs for a long period, their experience of the world
> differs.  That difference can show up in brain structure, without the
> need for a genetic or pathological basis.  If you raise a kitten with
> one eye closed, the large scale structure of its visual cortex is
> radically different, despite the lack of a genetic difference or a
> pathogen.
>
> This is one of the most common misconceptions about brain development -
> and it's common because it's very subtle and perhaps counterintuitive.
> However, if we regard the brain as an organ whose primary function is to
> adapt its structure to the experience it receives, the issues become
> clearer.
>
> I'll get off my hobbyhorse, this is a topic I frequently get into when
> lecturing!
>
>       Cheers,
>
>          Matthew.





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