Medical Evidence on Some ADHD
Some. Not all.
Lead Exposure Tied to ADHD Symptoms: New York Times Syndicate - May 01, 2006
Lead exposure is a known risk to the brain and to cognitive functioning. A study by Dr. Tanya Froehlich (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center) extends this knowledge specifically to ADHD symptoms. (Research presented at 2006 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting.)
The research also shows an interaction with a particular genetic variation. This information suggests that ADHD is a real disorder. For children who have lead exposure and the genetic variation. It might also suggest to parents that appropriate medical tests could clarify a possible diagnosis of ADHD.
(I haven’t abandoned my suspicion that some cases of ADHD result from inaccurate expectations about attention span.)
It is possible to measure the lead burden in a child’s body. Perhaps a proposed diagnosis of ADHD should be a warning to make that measurement. Lead comes from environmental exposure. Such exposure could occur in a home, school, playground, or elsewhere. (Exposure is not limited to slums and industrial areas.) If a child’s lead burden is unusually high, a parent might want to look (or get tests) for possible sources. If the lead exposure continues, further cognitive impairment is likely. If the exposure is at school or at a playground, many other children may also be at risk.
It may be possible to diminish the lead burden by chelation therapy. I don’t know how effective such treatments are. Nor do I know whether reducing the lead burden would reduce the cognitive impairment. Those questions will need to be settled by further research following up on the research cited above.
A child with ADHD from lead exposure may still benefit from treatment of the symptoms. But that medication does not treat the medical cause. It might even function to reduce the symptoms and leave the cause untreated, to produce further problems later.
The identification of a particular type of ADHD (by cause) is indeed useful, particularly since it suggests concrete actions that parents may take. And establishing a credible medical cause with objective diagnostic indicators will make some people more comfortable in viewing ADHD as a genuine disorder. Not just a convenient way to deal with troublesome kids.
Lead Exposure Tied to ADHD Symptoms: New York Times Syndicate - May 01, 2006
Lead exposure is a known risk to the brain and to cognitive functioning. A study by Dr. Tanya Froehlich (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center) extends this knowledge specifically to ADHD symptoms. (Research presented at 2006 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting.)
The research also shows an interaction with a particular genetic variation. This information suggests that ADHD is a real disorder. For children who have lead exposure and the genetic variation. It might also suggest to parents that appropriate medical tests could clarify a possible diagnosis of ADHD.
(I haven’t abandoned my suspicion that some cases of ADHD result from inaccurate expectations about attention span.)
It is possible to measure the lead burden in a child’s body. Perhaps a proposed diagnosis of ADHD should be a warning to make that measurement. Lead comes from environmental exposure. Such exposure could occur in a home, school, playground, or elsewhere. (Exposure is not limited to slums and industrial areas.) If a child’s lead burden is unusually high, a parent might want to look (or get tests) for possible sources. If the lead exposure continues, further cognitive impairment is likely. If the exposure is at school or at a playground, many other children may also be at risk.
It may be possible to diminish the lead burden by chelation therapy. I don’t know how effective such treatments are. Nor do I know whether reducing the lead burden would reduce the cognitive impairment. Those questions will need to be settled by further research following up on the research cited above.
A child with ADHD from lead exposure may still benefit from treatment of the symptoms. But that medication does not treat the medical cause. It might even function to reduce the symptoms and leave the cause untreated, to produce further problems later.
The identification of a particular type of ADHD (by cause) is indeed useful, particularly since it suggests concrete actions that parents may take. And establishing a credible medical cause with objective diagnostic indicators will make some people more comfortable in viewing ADHD as a genuine disorder. Not just a convenient way to deal with troublesome kids.
posted by Selby Evans at 12:21 PM
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