A weekly roundup of news headlines from across the attention deficit and learning disabilities spectrum.
by ADDitude Editors
New ADD/ADHD Medication Approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that nonstimulant medication Kapvay (clonidine hydrochloride) can be used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) when taken with a stimulant medication. It is the first nonstimulant ADD/ADHD drug to receive approval to be used in conjunction this way, according to Psych Central.
During one of the drug trials, Kapvay was administered to 198 patients who had been treated with a stimulant and showed little improvement, Psych Central reports. The addition of this nonstimulant medication led to significant improvement in ADD/ADHD symptoms, when compared with a group who received a placebo in addition to the stimulant.
[Source: Psych Central]
Scientists Find First Genetic Component to ADD/ADHD
Researchers from Cardiff University's School of Medicine say they have found the first tangible evidence that ADD/ADHD is a genetic disorder, and that the brains of children living with ADD/ADHD develop differently from those of other children. The team analyzed the genomes of 366 ADD/ADHD children and found that they were more likely to have missing or repeated DNA segments than those children without the condition.
[Source: Cardiff University]
Fine-Tuning Meds, Therapy Lessen Aggression in ADD/ADHD Kids
A new study finds that ADD/ADHD children who display aggressive behaviors -- are easily frustrated or have frequent, sometimes violent outbursts, for instance -- do well with an adjustment in their ADD/ADHD treatment plans, plus weekly psychotherapy sessions, rather than being treated with antipsychotic drugs.
[Source: Stony Brook University Medical Center]
New Resources for People with ADD/ADHD
In conjunction with September's ADHD Awareness Week, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has launched an online ADHD Resource Center to provide awareness and education to children and adults living with ADD/ADHD.
Similarly, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on September 16, 2010, launched its own online resource center to support those with attention deficit.