Dr. M. Romanos and colleagues examined the genetic make-up of several families and found that there are common elements that appear to be associated with ADHD. Although these findings point toward a genetic contribution to ADHD, it is important to note the caveat implied by the final sentence of the abstract: So many factors contribute to ADHD, that these results should not be construed as identifying the precise cause of the disorder. In the full article, the authors are circumspect about this: “The identification [in this study] of several novel linkage regions as well as replication of previously reported loci provides further evidence for the highly heterogeneous genetic etiology of ADHD.”
Genome-wide linkage analysis of ADHD using high-density SNP arrays: Novel loci at 5q13.1 and 14q12
M Romanos, C. Freitag, C. Jacob, D. W Craig, A. Dempfle, T. T. Nguyen, R. Halperin, S. Walitza, T. J Renner, C. Seitz, J. Romanos, H. Palmason, A. Reif, M. Heine, C. Windemuth-Kieselbach, C. Vogler, J. Sigmund, A. Warnke, H. Schäfer, J. Meyer, D. A. Stephan, & K. P. Lesch
Molecular Psychiatry (2008) 13, 522–530; doi:10.1038/mp.2008.12; published online 26 February 2008
Abstract
Previous genome-wide linkage studies applied the affected sib-pair design; one investigated extended pedigrees of a. genetic isolate. Here, results of a. genome-wide high-density linkage scan of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using an array-based genotyping of approx ~50 K. single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) markers are presented. We investigated eight extended pedigrees of German origin that were non-related, not part of a. genetic isolate and ascertained on the basis of clinical referral. Two parametric analyses maximizing LOD scores (MOD) and a. non-parametric analysis for both a. broad and a. narrow phenotype approach were conducted. Novel linkage loci across all families were detected at 2q35, 5q13.1, 6q22-23 and 14q12, within individual families at 18q11.2-12.3. Further linkage regions at 7q21.11, 9q22 and 16q24.1 in all families, and at 1q25.1, 1q25.3, 9q31.1-33.1, 9q33, 12p13.33, 15q11.2-13.3 and 16p12.3-12.2 in individual families replicate previous findings. High-resolution linkage mapping points to several novel candidate genes characterized by dense expression in the brain and potential impact on disorder-relevant synaptic transmission. Our study provides further evidence for common gene effects throughout different populations despite the complex multifactorial etiology of ADHD.
Professor Orly Rubinsten and colleagues found that methylphenidate affects the arithmetic performance of children in different ways, but its effects are not only on children with ADHD. When they received methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin, children had higher correct responding on problems requiring them to follow a series of steps than when they didn’t receive the drug; in contrast, there were no differences between drug and no-drug conditions on simpler tasks. The effects occurred for children with dyscalculia, less math problems, or no math problems.
Methylphenidate has Differential Effects on Numerical Abilities in ADHD Children with and without Co-Morbid Mathematical Difficulties
Authors: Orly Rubinsten, Anne-Claude Bedard, Rosemary Tannock
doi: 10.2174/1874350100801010011
Abstract:
Objective. To investigate effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on numerical performance in children with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with and without concurrent math difficulties. Method. Data were analyzed from three groups of children with ADHD, who varied in arithmetic abilities. Groups were matched for IQ and reading abilities and classification was based on ICD-10 criteria, using scores on a standardized arithmetic achievement test. Thus, we identified one group with severe difficulties in arithmetic (ADHD+Developmental Dyscalculia; DD), second group with more general and less severe difficulties in arithmetic (ADHD+Mathematical Disabilities; MD), and a third group with good arithmetic abilities (ADHD). All children completed a 10-minute arithmetic task involving subtraction problems, during an acute, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with three dose levels of methylphenidate (10mg, 15mg, 20mg). Results. (1) Both ADHD+MD and ADHD+DD were impaired in using strategies that implicate working memory (i.e., borrowing). However, only the ADHD+DD were impaired in using implicit knowledge of quantities (i.e., doing simple subtractions). (2) MPH improved all children’s performance of arithmetic procedures (borrowing) that involves working memory, but had no effect on basic numerical skills that involves understanding of quantities. Conclusions. We show clear dissociation of MPH functions: it improves working memory functions but does not improve specific cognitive functions such as quantity manipulation. Moreover, MPH shows decreased efficacy for arithmetic performance in ADHD+DD, highlighting the need for additional intervention in this subgroup.
Keywords: Methylphenidate, developmental dyscalculia, ADHD
Affiliation: Neurosciences and Mental Health Research Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The study appeared in The Open Psychology Journal and the entire article is available for free via the Open Journal initiative.
An article from the Colorado Springs (CO, US) Gazette describes an award given to a teacher for helping students with Learning Disabilities develop self-advocacy skills. Under the headline “D-12 teacher an ‘American Star’: Award honors creation of program for learning-disabled teens,” Shari Chaney Griffen reported that Alan Pocock, a teacher in a Colorado Springs high school, was recognized for developing a program called “Learning and Educating About Disabilities” (LEAD). LEAD helps high school students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD to prepare for college.
The US Department of Education provides the award that Mr. Pocock received. He is one of 51 recipients of it for this year.
The award program, part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, annually recognizes one teacher from each state and Washington, D.C., for innovative teaching strategies, making a difference in the lives of students and improving academic performance.
“He’s a poster child for that criteria,” said Salle Howes, a parent and past president of Learning and Educating About Disabilities Foundation in Colorado Springs.
Howes nominated Pocock for the award for his work in creating the LEAD program, which helps college-bound students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder build on their strengths and overcome weaknesses. Students learn about their rights as students with disabilities and how to advocate for themselves.
Link to Ms. Griffin’s article. Link to the Colorado Learning and Educating About Disabilities Foundation site that had a feature about the award as of this date. Google items about the “American Star of Teaching” award. Link to a US Department of Education data base showing recipients of the American Star of Teaching award.
Professor Dorothy Bishop of the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology found the evidence favoring Dore Achievement Center efficacy to be wanting. Writing in an official journal of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Professor Bishop cautioned physicians and other clinicians not to accept inadequate evidence for the program.
Dore Achievement Centres are springing up world-wide with a mission to cure cerebellar developmental delay, thought to be the cause of dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyspraxia and Asperger’s syndrome. Remarkable success is claimed for an exercise-based treatment that is designed to accelerate cerebellar development. Unfortunately, the published studies are seriously flawed. On measures where control data are available, there is no credible evidence of significant gains in literacy associated with this intervention. There are no published studies on efficacy with the clinical groups for whom the programme is advocated. It is important that family practitioners and paediatricians are aware that the claims made for this expensive treatment are misleading.
On LD Blog I have previously expressed doubt about the Dore program. You can read those entries: Going backwards, Dore dinged, and Dore more (the last includes a comment by Chris Tregenza, who advocates the treatment).
Bishop, D. V. (2007). Curing dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder by training motor co-ordination: Miracle or myth? Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 43, 653-655.
Link to the abstract for Professor Bishop’s article.
In a study that received some national press coverage, Professor Lee Kern and colleagues reported the results of a study designed to assess the benefits of (a) parent education aimed at teaching parents how to tailor behavior management procedures to the needs of individual children with ADHD in comparison to (b) parent education that addressed general issues in child development and parenting. Although they discuss the improvement of the children in the two groups, they did not find significant differences between them on a wide array of measures.
Recent research suggests that symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may begin to emerge in children at a very young age. Given that early onset is associated with more deleterious outcomes, early intervention is imperative. In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness of two different interventions with children aged 3-5 years. A multicomponent intervention combined parent education and individualized assessment-based intervention in home and preschool or day care settings was compared with a parent education intervention consisting of parent education alone. Both interventions resulted in significant improvements measured by standardized assessments of behavior and preacademic skills. There were no significant differences between the intervention groups 1 year postintervention. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.
The study is entitled “Multisetting Assessment-Based Intervention for Young Children at Risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Initial Effects on Academic and Behavioral Functioning” and, in addition to Professor Kern, the authors are George J. DuPaul, Robert J. Volpe, Natalie G. Sokol, J. Gary Lutz, Lauren A. Arbolino, Mary Pipan, John D. VanBrakle. It appeared in School Psychology Review, issue 36, number 2 in June 2007. There is more about the project available from a news release by Lehigh University, where several of the authors are on the faculty. There are links to videos of Professors Kern and DuPaul discussing the research.
Press coverage is available from USA Today (Easy non-drug help aids ADHD kids) and CNN (Some techniques to help 3- to 5-year olds with ADHD).
Schwab Learning to Great Schools and Sparktop to Professor Garfield Foundation
After many years of valuable service to the Learning Disabilities community, Charles and Helen Schwab are passing along their popular Web sites, Schwab Learning and Sparktop, to two other organizations. The Schwabs will shift their focus to other mays to help children and youths with Learning Disabilities and their families.
Thanks for all the good work!
Links: