research and news: recent publications

July 11, 2022Alzheimer’s symptoms like slow cognition and apathy may improve in Alzheimer’s syndrome patients treated with ADHD medication, which has little effect on attention or episodic memory, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.1The research, which comprised a meta-analysis of eight clinical trials involving 425 patients, found that ADHD medication had a significant positive effect on apathy, a common Alzheimer’s symptom. (The noradrenergic system influences motivation.)2Findings from 10 studies involving 1,300 patients revealed a small positive effect of noradrenergic drugs on overall cognition, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Exam or the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale.1 However, the study reports that noradrenergic drugs do not significantly affect attention or episodic memory in patients with Alzheimer’s.

July 5, 2022Dyslexia is not a neurological disorder or even an impairment, but rather a concession for having cognitive strengths in exploration, big-picture thinking, creativity, and problem-solving that have contributed to human survival amid changing environments. This insight comes from a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology that finds an association between the learning difference and “an explorative bias.”1The researchers found that people with dyslexia (explorers) have strengths in experimentation, innovation, and searching for the unknown.

June 16, 2022Abuse of stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could lead to rare hallucinations, hair pulling, and delusional infestations, according to a small study published in the scientific journal Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.1Prescription stimulants such as amphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse), or methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) are commonly prescribed to treat ADHD symptoms. Researchers wanted to learn more about the side effects associated with stimulant medication abuse or misuse — that is, taking more than the prescribed dosage or taking a medication without a prescription for it.A systematic review of the PubMed database identified 22 peer-reviewed case reports of hair pulling (trichotillomania), tactile hallucinations, and delusional infestations induced by the prescription stimulants amphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse), or methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta).Findings included eight cases (seven male, one female) of hair pulling in patients with ADHD induced by prescription stimulant use.

June 9, 2022Stimulant medication does not help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) learn academic lessons more thoroughly or more quickly, according to new research that dispels long-held beliefs about treatment.“Although it has been believed for decades that medication effects on academic seatwork, productivity, and classroom behavior would translate into improved learning of new academic material, we found no such translation,” researchers reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.1, 2A controlled study evaluating the impact of stimulant medication on learning was conducted by scientists at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University (FIU) in a summer classroom setting. Participants included 173 children with ADHD between the ages of 7 and 12 who attended the center’s eight-week summer camp program (77% were male, 23% were female; 86% were Hispanic, and 10% were Black).

May 12, 2022Unhealthy eating habits are more prevalent among children with inattentive symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than they are among those without the condition. This finding came from a new study published in Nutrients that compared the food consumption and dietary habits of children with and without ADHD in relation to their age and ADHD presentation.

May 4, 2022Cerebral Inc. will stop writing new prescriptions for controlled substances that treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall and Ritalin, effective May 9, in states where prescribing services exist.

April 14, 2022Half of the most popular TikTok videos about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are misleading, according to a new study in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. TikTok was the most downloaded social media application in 2020 with more than 1 billion monthly active users; content in its #adhd channel now boasts a combined 10.6 billion views — up from 2.4 billion views 18 months ago.1,2For the study, researchers evaluated the 100 most popular TikTok videos about ADHD, which had more than 2.8 million views total and an average of 31,000 shares each.