Newer Findings about ADHD

Our understanding of ADHD has expanded over the past two decades, which means that more people can be appropriately diagnosed and supported. We have a better understanding of how ADHD may present differently in people of different ages, genders or cultural backgrounds. We also have a better idea of what supports may be of benefit and how it is important that they are customized to each individual rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Jennifer Yee explains:
Let’s highlight some of the latest research about ADHD:
Latest statistics
In Canada, about 5-7% of children have been diagnosed with ADHD.
There is a hereditary component
– someone with an immediate family member (biological parent, child or sibling) with ADHD has a 50% chance of also being diagnosed with ADHD. Many adults are now being diagnosed for the first time as they go through the process of diagnosis with their children and see their symptoms and neurodivergent experience reflected in their children.
The role of neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and dopamine)
– Norepinephrine helps us to regulate attention and emotions and levels of norepinephrine in the brain tend to be lower in individuals with ADHD.
– Dopamine is linked to the reward centres of the brain which make us feel good when we accomplish or achieve something. People with ADHD tend to have lower levels of dopamine. This may make them less motivated to complete tasks because they don’t receive the same level of reward feedback. We now know that people with ADHD appear to make the same amounts of dopamine but they have more dopamine transporters so dopamine is moved out of the brain more quickly so there is less of it present.
– Naturopathically, we have a variety of assessment tools to determine if neurotransmitter levels are deficient and also supportive approaches that can be supportive of neurotransmitter functions.
Screentime does not cause ADHD but may exacerbate symptoms in people with ADHD
– We have observed that the pull towards screens is stronger in children and adults with ADHD. This may be related to the tendency towards hyperfocusing and the dopamine reward/stimulation that occurs when watching entertaining videos or browsing social media. Although, screentime does not cause ADHD, minimizing it can improve symptoms in people with ADHD.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
– Current statistics indicate that nearly everyone with ADHD also has Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).
– People with RSD experience a very intense flood of emotions when faced with rejection – real or perceived. For example, a child may ask another child to play and is turned down. This creates a flood of negative emotions which can be internalized as self-criticism and shame or be externalized through lashing out verbally or physically. These reactions happen very quickly (“short fuse”) and tend to be fleeting but can be very intense and confusing to the individual with RSD.
– Stress hormones and fatigue (overstimulation, sleep deprivation) play an active role in stress response and these are key areas that I focus on in my patients.
Supportive Treatments
We know that a combination approach works best. This approach can include:
– Coaching – figuring out what adjustments to our routine works best for you (examples can include setting alarms, making lists or following a flow chart system to help with organization and task completion).
– Therapy & family training – tools that are helpful to the entire family and reinforce healthy conflict management and learning.
– Medication – may be utilized when appropriate and supportive naturopathic treatment can also focus on minimizing side effects of these medications (e.g. loss of appetite, energy crashes, sleep issues, etc.).
– Physical activity & Relaxation – we know that physical activity (particularly outdoors) and breathing exercises can be particularly useful for improving focus and mental well-being. Identifying what types of activities, how much of it and when should be customized to the individual.
– Nutrition & Supplementation – identifying & addressing nutritional deficiencies, identifying food intolerances that can impact nutrient absorption and increase inflammation, introducing more nutrients in the diet or through supplementation that support the nervous system and brain health.