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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
New Hope for ADD and ADHD in Children
Although the National Institute of Mental Health readily admits it doesn’t know what causes ADD and ADHD in children, a recent discovery by a neurobiologist at Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, Massachusetts provides some new and exciting hope for children and adults with the disorder.
Neurobiologist Susan Barry, contrary to prevailing thought, has documented that the human brain can be retrained. And that could evolve into new and more powerful discoveries that could unravel some of the complexities of the brain, including those associated with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Through ongoing therapy that “ … involved small wooden balls suspended on strings, looking at complicated eye charts through prisms, and waving objects in her peripheral vision while jumping on a trampoline” Barry, with a rare eye disease from birth, was able to retrain her brain so both her eyes could focus on one object at the same time.
The potential ramifications of Barry’s discovery are many, but as far as ADD and ADHD, they include:
* For years, science has taught that the brain becomes fixed after early childhood and no longer has the capacity to be changed or rewired
* ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adulthood
* About 10 percent of school-age children in the U.S. have some degree of ADD, ADHD, and/or other learning disabilities
* Some children with ADHD have thinner brain tissue in areas of the brain associated with attention … often those children see their symptoms improve as they grow older and that tissue thickens … Could Barry’s retraining of the brain quicken the thickening of that tissue?
* Some children develop ADHD after head trauma … Could Barry’s retraining techniques hasten the recovery time?
* Modern medicine’s prevalent treatment for ADD and ADHD is medication that treats symptoms, but never will generate a cure. Could retraining the brain lead to a cure?
* Barry’s book is entitled “Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist’s Journey Into Seeing Three Dimensions”
Hopefully, there soon will come a day when ADD and ADHD in children will be cured, rather than coming up with new temporary-fix medications. And Susan Barry’s discovery that the human brain can be trained could be the portal to that future.
by Rocky Wilson
Author of Sharene - Death: A Prerequisite For Life
Owner of Healthy Chocolate website
