| If you or your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, | | | | scanning folks with ADHD but other physicians have |
| there is an exceedingly good chance that your health | | | | mapped out the brain pathology of ADHD using |
| care provider used a behavioral checklist to confirm | | | | Spect scans and have also concluded that a diagnosis |
| the diagnosis. The American Academy of Pediatrics | | | | of ADHD can be made based on blood flow. |
| recommends that pediatricians have parents and | | | | Functional MRI also gives you a picture of the active |
| teachers fill out a symptoms checklist and then if | | | | portions of the brain using magnetic imaging. These |
| there are enough ADHD symptom boxes checked | | | | tests are also expensive but they also give a picture |
| then 'Voila' a diagnosis is born. | | | | of the part of the brain that is causing problematic |
| There are major problems with behavior checklist. | | | | symptoms in ADHD. |
| The biggest problem is that they are only right about | | | | The ADHD Quotient system is being used at the |
| 60 percent of the time. Russell Barkley Ph.D., who | | | | Hallowell ADHD centers. Dr. Ned Hallowell has written |
| has studied ADHD extensively, reports that parents | | | | several books on ADHD including one that I consider |
| and teachers agree on behavioral checklist only about | | | | a bible called Delivered from Distraction. |
| 35 percent of the time. There are diagnostic | | | | This ADHD test is performed with motion sensors |
| alternatives that are more accurate and more | | | | and a computer and is able to quantitatively track |
| quantitative. The alternatives include functional Spect | | | | inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Studies |
| scanning, functional MRI, and the ADHD Quotient | | | | show that it is very accurate in diagnosing ADHD. |
| test. | | | | A new study has shown that this system can |
| Dr. Daniel Amen, a very busy ADHD health care | | | | accurately diagnose ADHD in adults as well as |
| provider uses a system of study called spectrometry | | | | children, which is exiting because it was previously |
| scanning. Spectrometry scans use infrared probes on | | | | thought that adults with ADHD would be harder to |
| the head to chart a picture of brain blood flow. Dr. | | | | diagnose using a system such as this one. |
| Amen claims that he can tell what subtype of ADHD | | | | We may have reached a point in the history of |
| the patient is suffering from as well as determining | | | | ADHD where behavioral checklists seem archaic. The |
| the degree of symptoms that a patient is suffering | | | | use of these other, alternative ADHD diagnostic tools |
| based on the Spect scan picture. Dr. Amen has been | | | | will, many ADHD specialist believe, soon be used |
| criticized because he has made lots of money | | | | more often to diagnose ADHD. |