ADHD Inhibits Normal Brain Function In Children

Brains of children with ADHD function differently than a "normal" brain

Researchers recently discovered that children who have Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder (ADHD) experience more difficulty when trying to “turn off” a part of the brain.

Children with ADHD are more likely to daydream or experience a “wandering” mind instead of concentrating, due largely to the inability in the brain.

This study, at the University of Nottingham, may provide a link between ADHD and the inability to properly focus on a certain activity.

While there is no present cure for the disorder, medications or behavior therapies can be used to treat symptoms. The most common drug is Ritalin.

For the study, researchers used a video game to perform tests on children between the ages of 9 and 15 years old.

Brain scans of the children were taken while on medication and while off medication.

Researchers found that without a large reward or medication, children who have ADHD performed much more poorly than children without.

Without an interesting enough activity, the brain cannot physically turn off background activity, causing an increase in distractions and frequency of distractions.

The addition of medication or making an activity more interesting for children proved to increase focus.