What have we learnt about the causes of ADHD in the last 10 years?

Talk delivered by Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, IoPPN.
This talk was given as part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Clinical Academic Group (CAMHS CAG) Projects Day 2018.
The CAMHS CAG Projects Day celebrated the diverse and broad research that has taken place in the past 8 years within King's Health Partners, South London and Maudsley and King's College London's Clinical Academic Group.
The theme of the day was Translating Basic Science to Improve the Mental Health of Children and Young People with talks from 15 eminent speakers. A Research Summaries book has also been produced containing 104 projects that have made an impact both locally and nationally. For more information and a digital copy of the Projects Day Research Summaries Book, please visit:
www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/cap...

[@coverupper1354]

Would be interesting to know how KCL deals with its students that have ADHD

[@Ephilates2024]

As an undergrad at Yale (‘07) I was diagnosed for dyslexia, which should have triggered tests for adhd given the frequency of co-morbidity. Didn’t happen and I really struggled, at least as much if not more from undiagnosed and untreated adhd. Yale does go to lengths to accommodate but the researchers who diagnosed me (I believe they were considered the leading ones in the field of dyslexia research- the Shaywitzes) were primarily interested in dyslexia. They stayed in their lane, in a sense. However, it was a missed opportunity for me and only now so many years later did I stumble across a huge part of the puzzle, when someone suggested that I read Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté. I’m now reading Hallowell’s and Ratey’s Driven to Distraction. My next stop is to get a diagnosis. So, regarding your question about KCL, my own experience with a major research uni is that cutting edge research doesn’t necessarily mean that the students receive cutting edge attention. There was ironically attention deficit disorder on the part of the university.

[@tt3904]

Hello, is it possible to provide a list or guidance on how to access the references mentioned in the presentation slides? I could not find the references journals using citation provided on screen.

[@edmundsonuga-barke526]

Sorry for delay in replying - could you email me with specific references you would like.

[@Ephilates2024]

Thank you this informative survey. Like many others, I was introduced to ADHD through the work of Gabor Maté’s Scattered Minds. (I have since complemented my knowledge by reading Ratey and Hollowell as well as Barkley.) In his book, which is written from a clinical perspective of having treated patients and having the disorder himself, Maté believes the environment - specifically the quality of mother-child attachment a la Bowlby-Ainsworth attachment theory - triggers genes to express a predisposition for ADHD. In particular, Maté emphasizes the role of stress in inhibiting PFC development. The slide here in this presentation about 7 Xs higher rates of ADHD among children who have been subjected to extreme deprivation or adversity, like the orphans in state facilities in Nicolae Ceaușescu-era Romania, would seem to support Maté’s thesis and suggests a rich vein for researchers to mine.

[@John-he6yh]

"ADHD" is a "complicated", nebulous condition. Necessarily nebulous.

[@100musicplaylists3]

Its bloody obvious what adhd is: It is caused by a lack of stimulation during the critical years of brain development. This has been proven conclusively in experiments with rats who are deprived of stimulation and become hyperactive and then calm when medicated with glucose. ADHD is caused by one or more of the following environmental factors which cause it to be passed on through generations: a) too little glucose aka stimulation in the diet during brain development, b) Parents who have a tendency to be fearful of excitability in a childs natural tendency to enjoy excitable play and who clamp down on this behavior too much c) A hostile overly critical environment in the critical years of brain development that causes the brain to subconsciously auto shut out the percieved threat aka CPTSD. ADHD aka CPTSD is a viscous circle: Once a childs behavior becomes challenging, the behavior only attracts more criticism which is the same as putting more fuel on the fire. A childs first self image and self esteem is how they think their parents see them. If a child mainly hears negativity & criticism its no surprise they will see themselves as not good enough and will be lacking in confidence and will have low self esteem. Its not rocket science. The best and only cure for ADHD is success, but most kids who are adhd will fail precisely because they are aiming too high and expecting too much results too quickly and dont take the baby steps neccesary to suceed. Yes it is genetic in the sense that we know our thoughts can change our physical brain and vise versa. Its not incurable, ive seen people who are adhd make big improvements simply by adding honey to their diet and by hyperfocusing on self teaching themselves social communication and listening skills.

[@rogiervantilburg3440]

Wow, you solved it!

[@Ephilates2024]

You lost me at honey but otherwise the environmental and social dynamics parts sound correct.