Downloaded this on 12/12/96 from www.nami.org:
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY...
What causes ADHD?
We don't fully know yet, but it clearly has biological underpinnings.
Many people-including some medical professionals, teachers, parents, and
peers--do not understand these biological under pinnings.
They often mislablel children with ADHD as undisciplined, stupid, lazy,
or simply bad.  In fact, strong scientific evidence supports the
conclusion that persons with ADHD suffer from a brain-based biological
disorder.
Examples:
1. Biochemical studies have documented that children with ADHD have
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2.  Laboratory animal models relevant to ADHD reveal deficiencies in a
number of neurotransmitters, including dopamine.
3.  Successful  medications for ADHD affect the levels of several neuro-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
transmitters, including dopamine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. Brain imaging studies using PET scanners have shown that brain
metabolism is lower in patients with ADHD than in normal controls.  More
important, these studies show significantly lower metabolic activity in
regions of the brain that control attention, social judgement, and
movement.
5.  There is strong evidence that ADHD has a genetic basis in some
cases.
6.  Environmental factors associated with ADHD include low birth weight,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
 hypoxia (too little oxygen) at birth, and exposure in utero to a number
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 of toxins including alcohol, cocaine, and nicotene.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This article does not link ADHD to alcoholism.  Articles in other
medical journals, specific to chemical dependency do.
And, the above factors are also present in genetic alcoholism.
We do NOT treat alcoholism or drug addiction by telling the patient to
have as much as he or she wants of his or her drug of choice.
We do treat alcoholism and drug addiction with exercise, remedial diet,
and some form of peer or group therapy.
It is time this approach was also considered in ADHD.
 * SLMR 2.1a * It's only a hobby ... only a hobby ... only a
                   
--- JCQWK
---------------