I stumbled across this site where Dr. Amen (no, really, that's his name!)
has performed brain scans on a number of people with and without ADD. He's classified ADD into 7 different types and has brain scan examples from each. My daughter's condition is number 2 on his list and is characterized in terms of brain activity as follows:
Brain SPECT imaging typically shows decreased activity in the basal ganglia and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex during a concentration task.
Here's wikipedia on the
dorsolateral prefontal cortex:
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC or DLPFC) is the last area (45th) to develop (myelinate) in the human cerebrum ... DL-PFC serves as the highest cortical area responsible for motor planning, organization, and regulation. It plays an important role in the integration of sensory and mnemonic information and the regulation of intellectual function and action. It is also involved in working memory. However, DL-PFC is not exclusively responsible for the executive functions. All complex mental activity require the additional cortical and subcortical circuits that DL-PFC is connected with.
Hmmm. That sounds about right.
2 comments:
It's nice to have confirmation that the diagnosis is right.
ADD....yup, been there and got the Hat. Mine was TBI induced....a less than flight worthy UH-1.....
I was diagnosed just about the time I started my Blog, two years ago. I went for the meditation approach and I sometimes augment with a "patch" which contains ritalin. That's for when I Really want to focus.....
Then, I'll let my ADD self out to play for a bit....hang in there, the more you learn, the better you can help your young'un.
Try googling "The Crazy Ones", Garret LoPorto, or just ADD chat rooms. There's a wealth of knowledge on the inner tubes....
Good luck my Friend!!
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