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A Look at the Past and the Future

© Valerie de Armas

Now that 1999 is gone and the year 2000 is here at last, I think it's a good time to review the advances made in 1999 concerning ADHD. And what a year it was! ADHD was in the news quite a bit in 1999. Looking back, you'll find articles from critics who say ADHD doesn't exist to exciting research studies that prove that it does exist beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The most exciting story of the year happened just before year's end when a study by Boston scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital was announced. This study showed that adults with ADHD have 70% more dopamine transporters than adults without ADHD. Scientists have felt that dopamine plays a key role in ADHD because it is associated with movement, thought, motivation, and pleasure, but until now, they couldn't prove it. The scientists could not tell whether those adults with ADHD had more dopamine transporters as a result of their ADHD or if it was the cause of the ADHD. More studies will need to be done in this area.

This study may be the cornerstone that is needed to creative a diagnostic test for ADHD. Currently diagnosis is made by long term observation of a person's behavior. While some critics say that since there is no diagnostic test, then ADHD must not exist, others feel that diagnosis can be too subjective leading to over-diagnosis (or under-diagnosis, depending upon whom you ask).

Stanford University researchers did another interesting study that was announced at the end of 1999. This study showed that a special brain scan could help identify those with ADHD. The study included 16 boys, 10 of which had ADHD. The boys were asked two mental tasks. The scan showed abnormal nerve activity in the frontal lobe of the brain and the area just below it. It is interesting to note that when the boys took Ritalin, the scans were identical to those scans of the 6 boys who were in the control group.

Dr. Nora D. Volkow of Brookhaven Laboratory in Upton, NY, said, "Some people say ADD is a product of our society. This study shows there is a very clear biochemical process behind it."

I'm excited to see what this new century will bring to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, and to the public education about ADHD. I'm sure we'll be seeing the results of more research and more confirmation that ADHD is real - like I needed convincing!

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