Researchers find abnormalities in children with ADHD and bipolar disorder

By Staff Writer

Researchers recently studied the brain activity of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a separate group with bipolar disorder (BD).

The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that the children with ADHD had more severe dysfunction in their prefrontal cortex, according to ScienceCentric.com. Those with BD had more deficits in areas of the brain related to emotion processing and regulating.

The prefrontal cortex of the brain controls an individual's impulses, working memory, attention span and language. The lead author of the study said that the next step is to devise methods to help children use their prefontal cortex.

The news source states that the study was the first to use brain imaging technology to examine these effects. As a result, researchers would like to develop diagnostic tests based on neurological evidence to replace some of the current methods, such as questionnaires and interviews with parents.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorder results in about a nine-year reduction in life expectancy for the average person.