VOLUME 6, NO. 5 MAY 24, 2001
NJ ADD/ADHD ADULT NEWSLETTER
ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP
FOR ADD/ADHD ADULTS
AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
MEETING: THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP WILL BE ON MAY 24, 2001 AT 7:30 PM AT MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, ROOM 114 STEINAM HOUSEMAN, LONG BRANCH, NJ. GO TO THE RECEPTION DESK IN THE MAIN LOBBY AND GET DIRECTIONS. THE TOPIC WILL BE: ADD SELF-CARE.
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY CASTELLANOS, F. et al. QUANTITATIVE BRAIN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN GIRLS WITH AD/HD. ARCH. GEN. PSYCHIATRY, 2001, 58:289-295, IT WAS FOUND THAT IN GENERAL GIRLS HAVE SIMILAR NEUROBIOLOGICAL SUBSTRATES AND BRAIN BEHAVIOR MECHANISMS AS BOYS. HOWEVER, GIRLS DID NOT HAVE THE CAUDATE AND GLOBUS PALLIDUS MOTOR SYSTEM DIFFERENCES COMMONLY REPORTED FOR ADHD BOYS. AS WITH BOYS THERE WERE SMALLER SIZES FOUND IN THE CEREBELLAR POSTERIOR VERMIS.
COMMENT: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ADD HAVE BECOME VERY INTERESTING LATELY. THIS STUDY REVEALED THAT A MOTOR SYSTEM WHICH IS COMMONLY PECULIAR IN ADD BOYS, WAS DIFFERENT IN GIRLS. ANOTHER INTERESTING FINDING WAS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE POSTERIOR CEREBELLAR VERMIS AND MOOD/ANXIETY. THE MORE OF THESE TWO PROBLEMS, THE SMALLER THE VERMIS. ADD GIRLS HAD THE SMALLEST. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MOODINESS AND ANXIETY SO COMMONLY REPORTED IN ADDers HAS A STRUCTURAL CORRELATE IN THE BRAIN'S CEREBELLUM? YET, WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT COMES FIRST, THE ADD OR THE SMALLER VERMIS AS A RESULT OF LIVING IN A WORLD THAT CATERS TO THE NON-ADDer.
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY SACHDEV, P. & TROLLOR, J. HOW HIGH A DOSE OF STIMULANT MEDICATION IN ADULT AD/HD? AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND J. PSYCHIATRY, 2000, 34(4): 645-650, IT WAS REPORTED THAT GOING ABOVE 1mg/kg OF BODY WEIGHT FOR METHYLPHENIDATE (RITALIN) OR 0.5mg/kg FOR DEXEDRINE WAS USUALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE BECAUSE OF INCREASING SIDE EFFECTS. THIS RESEARCH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL AND RESEARCH EVIDENCE REGARDING THIS TOPIC.
COMMENT: FOR A 150 POUND ADDer 70mg OF RITALIN OR ITS GENERIC EQUIVALENT IS USUALLY THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE OF MEDICATION. FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN CALCULATING THEIR MAXIMUM DOSE BASED UPON THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY, CONSIDER THAT A KILOGRAM (kg) IS APPROXIMATELY 2.2 POUNDS. DIVIDE YOUR WEIGHT IN POUNDS BY 2.2 AND MULTIPLY BY 1 FOR RITALIN AND BY 0.5 FOR DEXEDRINE TO DETERMINE THE LIMIT. OF COURSE THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES AND YOU WILL NEED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THIS STUDY ALSO REPORTED A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLOOD AND BRAIN LEVELS, SO MONITORING BLOOD LEVELS MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR SOME ADDers WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING THE RIGHT DOSE.
NEWS: A CALIFORNIA JUDGE THREW OUT THE LAW SUIT AGAINST CHADD AND THE RITALIN MANUFACTURER. THE SUIT CLAIMED THAT AD/HD WAS A FABRICATED DIAGNOSIS DEVELOPED TO SELL RITALIN.
RESEARCH: IN A STUDY BY RUCKLIDGE, J. & TANNOCK, R. PSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOSOCIAL, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING OF FEMALE ADOLESCENTS WITH ADHD. J.AM.ACAD.CHILD ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY, 2001, 40(5): 530-540, IT WAS FOUND THAT TEENAGE ADD FEMALES WERE FAR MORE IMPAIRED THAN OTHER FEMALE TEENS AND ADD MALES. THE IMPAIRMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE ARES OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, DISTRESS, TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS, STRESS, ATTRIBUTIONAL STYLES, LOCUS OF CONTROL AND OTHERS.
COMMENT: WE HAVE FAR TOO LONG IGNORED THE SPECIAL PLIGHT OF OUR FEMALE ADDers. THIS STUDY CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT THEY ARE SUFFERING FAR MORE THAN EXPECTED.
WARNING: SEVERAL SOURCES HAVE RECENTLY REPORTED SEIZURES WITH GINKGO BILOBA SEED PREPARATIONS, BUT NOT GINKGO LEAF EXTRACTS. SO CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR GINKGO IS THE SAFER LEAF EXTRACT. (SEE FDA ADVERSE EVENT MONITORING SYSTEM).
PEACE!!! Bob