VOLUME 6, NO. 9                                                                          SEPTEMBER 27, 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 SEPTEMBER 27, 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 A STUDY BY SEKINE, Y. et al. METHAMPHETAMINE-RELATED PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND REDUCED BRAIN DOPAMINE TRANSPORTERS STUDIED WITH PET (SCAN).  AM. J. PSYCHIATRY, 2001, 158: 1206-1214, IT WAS FOUND THAT CHRONIC USE OF METHAMPHETAMINE HAD LONG LASTING DECREMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER SYSTEM EVEN AFTER, IN SOME CASES, 1.5 YEARS OF ABSTINENCE FROM THE STIMULANT.

COMMENT:  THIS WAS A STUDY ON YOUNG ADULT HUMAN MALES WHO HAD ABUSED THIS STIMULANT DRUG FOR VARYING LENGTHS OF TIME BY EITHER SMOKING OR IV INJECTION.  WE DO NOT KNOW IF THEY HAD ADD, BUT IF THEY DID, THEIR ADD PROBLEMS WOULD LIKELY DRAMATICALLY WORSEN AFTER STOPPING THE DRUG.  THIS IS ANOTHER WARNING THAT ADD MEDICATIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN AS PRESCRIBED AND NOT EXCEEDED IN DOSAGE WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S APPROVAL.  THESE INDIVIDUALS LIKELY TOOK ENOUGH OF THE DRUG TO FEEL EUPHORIA .  ALL THREE DOPAMINE RICH AREAS OF THE BRAIN WERE DAMAGED.  SINCE METHAMPHETAMINE IS NOT TYPICALLY USED TO TREAT ADD BECAUSE OF ITS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE PROPERTIES, AND BECAUSE THE DOSE LEVELS WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN THOSE USED TO TREAT ADD, THIS IS NOT A DIRECT WARNING TO THE ADD POPULATION.

RESEARCH:   IN A STUDY BY CAPLAN, R. et al.  THOUGHT DISORDER IN ADHD., J. ACAD.CHILD.ADOLESC. PSYCHIATRY, 2001, 40(8): 965-972, IT WAS REPORTED THAT SIGNS OF A THOUGHT DISORDER ARE FOUND IN ADD CHILDREN.  ADHD CHILDREN WERE FOUND TO HAVE MORE ILLOGICAL THINKING...MORE EXOPHORA (MAKING REFERENCE TO THE ENVIRONMENT RATHER THAN TO THE CONTEXT OF SPEECH, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THEM)...FEWER VERBAL CONJUNCTIONS TO CONNECT WORDS AND PHRASES...MORE AMBIGUOUS REFERENCES (USING A REFERENT THAT CAN APPLY TO MORE THAN ONE PERSON OR OBJECT WHEN IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TO  DO SO)...MORE LOOSE ASSOCIATIONS (UNPREDICTABLE CHANGES IN THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WITHOUT THE USE OF APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE TO PREPARE THE LISTENER FOR THE CHANGE IN TOPIC)... AND OTHERS. 

COMMENT:  SOME OF THESE "THOUGHT DISORDER SYMPTOMS" WERE IMPROVED WITH MEDICATION, AND SOME WERE APPARENTLY DUE TO PROBLEMS OF ATTENTION, DIFFICULTIES WITH WORKING MEMORY, AND OTHER CAUSES.  SO THE PATTERNS OF THOUGHT WERE NOT THE SAME AS IS SEEN IN SCHIZOPHRENIA.  INTERESTINGLY, SOME ADDers HAVE BEEN MISDIAGNOSED AS SUFFERING FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PUT ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS, MUCH TO THEIR DETRIMENT.  MANY ADDers HAVE BEEN AFRAID OF PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICIONERS FEARING THAT THEY WOULD BE LABELED CRAZY BY THEM.  FORTUNATELY WITH EDUCATION OUR ADD FRIENDS HAVE BEEN LEARNING THAT THEY ARE NOT CRAZY, BUT CREATIVE, INTERESTING, FUN LOVING PEOPLE WHO ARE LOVINGLY DIFFERENT.

                                                                                PEACE!!!

                                                                                                Bob

(THIS NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE FREE ON www.drlopresti.com)