Several important and controversial studies have been published in the past few months on ADHD, making the summer research reading all the more fun. Here are summaries of two summer studies for you:

August 2007

Depressed Dopamine Activity in Caudate and Preliminary Evidence of Limbic Involvement in Adults With ADHD

Some very impressive researchers were involved in this study on ADHD, dopamine, and substance abuse. The researchers included Dr. Nora Volkow who is the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Dr. James Swanson from U.C. Irvine. I've been a fan of Dr. Swanson's work on ADHD treatment for many years.

This study concludes that ADHD is a real disease (ed.note: and not just something made up by drug companies to sell meds). ADHD is biologically caused and that dopamine production in individuals with ADHD is decreased, and that Ritalin increases dopamine production.

None of this is particularly new news, but the study is helpful to support this position, which we have held for about twenty years.

This is a debate that has been raging for years - does the use of stimulant medication to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, increase the likelihood of later drug use?

If you read the material from the Church of Scientology, and their friends, the answer will be "absolutely - yes!" But if you read material from researchers and psychologists, the answer will be "probably not."

Our experience has been that, no, the use of stimulant medication such as Ritalin does not increase the chances of a child becoming a teenager who will abuse drugs.

But here's a real life story to illustrate how opinions are often formed on the question. It begins with my being in a classroom at Cal State Bakersfield where I was giving a lecture on ADHD to a class of future educators.

Below is a copy of our ADHD diet eating program for ADD ADHD kids. It is not a very strict program, like the Feingold diet, unless you are used to having most meals at your local fast food restaurant.

This program is recommended for every member of the family. It's not just an "ADD diet". It's the same program that we put professional athletes and business executives on for optimized performance, with only minor changes.

We have found that it really helps about 20% to 25% of the ADHD kids that try it.

The most common feedback that we get from parents is, "Well, it helped my kid somewhat, but I really feel great!"

Results fall into a "Bell Curve." A few do great, a few are completely unaffected, and most do somewhat better but it is not enough as a stand-alone intervention.

Please have realistic expectations. But please try it. It just may be a big help to your family.