ADHD Brain Scans

Brain scans show a physiological effect, but a complete understanding of ADHD / ADD is still elusive

The Orlando Sentinal has a good report on the state of brain imaging for ADHD today.

The paper notes that "imaging technology has allowed scientists to see that brain structure and brain activity in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are markedly different than in nonafflicted children."

(Photo above - normal brain on left, ADHD brain on right) These images created by scanning the brains of ADHD-positive children support theories that the ADHD has a physiological basis in the brain -- "which contradicts skeptics who view the disorder as nothing more than initials that stand for an unruly, undisciplined brat."

"People don't believe in things until they see a picture," says Michael Stevens, researcher at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center at Hartford Hospital's Institute of Living.

The story further notes that:

One NIMH imaging study found that children with ADHD have 3 percent to 4 percent smaller in several brain areas.

Another study found a significantly lower amount of white matter -- the cells that form the connections between neurons -- in the brains of ADHD patients who never had been medicated.

Children with ADHD who had received stimulants had volumes of white matter similar to that of healthy kids.

The major differences in brain structure found thus far have been in areas that govern behaviors affected by ADHD, such as movement, impulse control and planning.

See full story: Scientists focus on image of ADHD