Hyperactivity On The Brain For some kids, hyperactivity may be the result of reduced blood flow to a certain part of the brain. A study published in the journal Nature Medicine uses a newly developed type of magnetic resonance imaging to study blood flow into the brains of 11 boys diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Of the 11, six boys' diagnoses were confirmed by computer testing, while the other five diagnoses remained unconfirmed. The MRI showed diminished blood flow to the putamen, an area of the brain associated with motor movements and attention, in the six boys with confirmed diagnoses, The Associated Press reports. The five other boys did not show reduced blood flow to that section of the brain. The researchers also studied the 11 boys' brains again after they were given the drug Ritalin to treat their ADHD. The MRI showed that Ritalin increased blood flow to the putamen in the six boys confirmed with ADHD, while it reduced blood flow to the putamen in the five boys whose diagnoses were unconfirmed. These findings suggest that there could be identifiable neurological abnormalities associated with hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorders, but that they do not account for all cases where children exhibit behavioral problems, the researchers say. The study also suggests that Ritalin may not be an effective treatment for all children with symptoms of ADHD, they say. |
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