Post by Amtram on Jun 18, 2014 13:54:56 GMT -5
This is also from MIT, but it's covered pretty well on Psych Central.
Brain imaging has limited usefulness as a diagnostic tool (NIMH info) but one of the problems we have is with public perception of mental illnesses as imaginary. Having an image that shows a difference, just as having a genetic test, is a double-edged sword. It demonstrates to the public that your condition is limited, but also conveys proof that you're damaged or inferior. The eventual outcome will be better treatments and more accurate diagnoses, though, so I think the positives outweigh the negatives.
Emerging research discovers adults who have recovered from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have different levels of brain activity than adults who still suffer from ADHD.
In a new study, MIT neuroscientists discovered key differences in a brain communication network that is active when the brain is at wakeful rest and not focused on a particular task.
The findings offer evidence of a biological basis for adult ADHD and should help to validate the criteria used to diagnose the disorder.
Experts believe about 11 percent of school-age children in the United States will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While many of these children eventually “outgrow” the disorder, some carry their difficulties into adulthood, authorities estimate that 10 million American adults are currently diagnosed with ADHD.
In the first study to compare patterns of brain activity in adults who recovered from childhood ADHD and those who did not, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) neuroscientists have discovered key differences in a brain communication network that is active when the brain is at wakeful rest and not focused on a particular task.
The findings offer evidence of a biological basis for adult ADHD and should help to validate the criteria used to diagnose the disorder, according to the researchers.
In a new study, MIT neuroscientists discovered key differences in a brain communication network that is active when the brain is at wakeful rest and not focused on a particular task.
The findings offer evidence of a biological basis for adult ADHD and should help to validate the criteria used to diagnose the disorder.
Experts believe about 11 percent of school-age children in the United States will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While many of these children eventually “outgrow” the disorder, some carry their difficulties into adulthood, authorities estimate that 10 million American adults are currently diagnosed with ADHD.
In the first study to compare patterns of brain activity in adults who recovered from childhood ADHD and those who did not, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) neuroscientists have discovered key differences in a brain communication network that is active when the brain is at wakeful rest and not focused on a particular task.
The findings offer evidence of a biological basis for adult ADHD and should help to validate the criteria used to diagnose the disorder, according to the researchers.
Brain imaging has limited usefulness as a diagnostic tool (NIMH info) but one of the problems we have is with public perception of mental illnesses as imaginary. Having an image that shows a difference, just as having a genetic test, is a double-edged sword. It demonstrates to the public that your condition is limited, but also conveys proof that you're damaged or inferior. The eventual outcome will be better treatments and more accurate diagnoses, though, so I think the positives outweigh the negatives.