ADHD Linked with Slower Brain Development

A new study of 465 children recently revealed a two-year delay in the development of certain brain regions in children with ADHD. These brain regions, the prefrontal cortex (the front of the brain), have long been associated with ADHD and what is known as “executive functioning.” This study revealed that prefrontal cortex growth in children with ADHD reaches 50% around the age of 14.6, while typical children’s frontal lobe growth reached 50% around 12.7 years-of-age. These results are important for at least two big reasons. First, this is more evidence supporting that ADHD is not a behavior problem, which is a common misunderstanding of parents, teachers, and some clinicians, but instead, is a neurological deficit. This more accurate conceptualization of the disorder allows those working with ADHD children and teens to work more effectively and collaborative with these students rather than taking a strictly punitive approach to behavior change. Second, this study has major implications for medical treatment. Biological scientist will now pursue understanding of what genes are associated with activation of prefrontal cortex growth in order to find ways to treat the source of ADHD problems,  rather than treating only the symptoms of the disorder. For the full summary of the article see Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248626.php