More disturbing news: More and more kids have chronic health problems February 18, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in Allergies, Environmental Stress, Epigenetics, Functional Disconnection Syndrome, Learning, Neuro-behavioral Disorders.add a comment
This information from Medpage Today on 02/16/10:
The prevalence of chronic conditions in childhood has increased over time, with much variation in how long the conditions persist, researchers found.
In three cohorts of children followed from 1988 through 2006, the number of children who had a chronic condition at any time increased from 27.8% in the earliest cohort to 51.5% in the latest, according to Jeanne Van Cleave, MD, of MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston, and colleagues.
But the presence of the conditions, which included obesity, asthma, other physical impairments, and behavior/learning problems, was fluid during each study period, they reported in the Feb. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Overall, 7.4% of the affected children had a chronic condition that persisted throughout the study, 9.3% had a condition at baseline that resolved within six years, and 13.4% developed a new condition during the study.
When all cohorts were pooled together, all categories of chronic conditions increased from baseline to the end of the study (P<0.001 for all):
Behavior/learning problems (such as ADHD and mental retardation): 1% to 4.7% Obesity: 11.9% to 13.3% Asthma: 2% to 3.6% Other physical conditions (such as allergies and chronic ear infections): 3.9% to 5.7%
When one takes a look at these statistics, what correlations can one assume?
- We’re getting to be a more and more sedentary society. As a matter of fact, a recent study founded that children on average have more than eleven hours of screen time each day.
- We’re experiencing more and more immune dysfunction and allergies, which is prevalent in Functional Disconnection Syndrome when the right hemisphere is underdeveloped and underfunctioning relative to the left hemisphere (see Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo). This is not to discount genetic, epigenetic and/or environmental causes.
- More behavior and learning problems as the result of the aforementioned imbalance.
It’s time to wake up and start working on these problems, rather than suppressing or ignoring them. Consider the long-term genetic alterations as a result not addressing these issues NOW!
Results of the Australian Raine study on effects of ADHD meds February 18, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in ADHD, Medication.2 comments
It’s been awhile since my last post. Just getting to be less and less time. But I had to comment on an article yesterday from the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald about the results of their 20-year, longitudinal Raine study on the long-term effects of ADHD meds. Here’s some of their comments:
Prof Landau and fellow researchers pulled data from the nation’s long-term Raine Study to assess the health, and other, outcomes of 131 children with ADHD among more than 2,800 Australian families.It showed how those using conventional ADHD drugs, such as Ritalin and dexamphetamine, had significantly poorer educational outcomes than children with ADHD not using the stimulants.
The drugs were also linked to a “trend toward slightly higher depression scores”, the study found, along with a potentially long-term risk factor for heart disease.
Children using ADHD drugs were found to have elevated diastolic blood pressure – which is the minimum pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest.
I hope you noticed “had significantly poorer education outcomes than children with ADHD not using the stimulatns.” Other than helping kids sit still for hours on end, isn’t the other reason that people use these medications is to increase educational outcomes? There’s more:
They had roughly the same behavioural and attention problems “regardless of medication use”, it said, though “where an effect was noticed, this was in the direction of symptoms worsening with the use of ADHD medication”.
Overall, there was “little long-term benefit of stimulant medication” for ADHD children, the study concluded.
“In children with ADHD, ever receiving stimulant medication was found to increase the odds of being identified as performing below age-level by a classroom teacher by a factor of 10.5 times,” the study found.
This effect was present even after researchers accounted for the fact that ADHD children with the worst symptoms were most likely to be prescribed the drugs.
When it came to educational performance, children on ADHD drugs were shown to be significantly worse off than those with unmedicated or no longer medicated ADHD.
This appears to be the longest study on the subject available. Other studies show improvements for three years, but then drop off at by year eight (NIMH). We look forward to more information to come from the Raine study on this issue.
My opinion: There has to be a better way that has better long-term effects and also health-building. Increasing diastolic blood pressure is not a long-term gain. Balancing the person’s brain is the better idea IMHO. This can be done with the Brain Balance program, which includes nutritional evaluation and allergy-elmination.
Elevated brain levels of magnesium enhance learning and memory January 29, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in Food Effects on Brain, Learning, Memory, Neuro-behavioral Disorders.add a comment
More research on one of the most important minerals, and generally deficient in: magnesium. From ScienceCodex.com:
New research finds that an increase in brain magnesium improves learning and memory in young and old rats. The study, published by Cell Press in the January 28th issue of the journal Neuron, suggests that increasing magnesium intake may be a valid strategy to enhance cognitive abilities and supports speculation that inadequate levels of magnesium impair cognitive function, leading to faster deterioration of memory in aging humans.
“Magnesium is essential for the proper functioning of many tissues in the body, including the brain and, in an earlier study, we demonstrated that magnesium promoted synaptic plasticity in cultured brain cells,” explains Dr. Liu.
One of the most prolific and ardent supporters of magnesium is Marc Sircus, L.Ac., OMD. Here are some open source audios of Dr. Marc on magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency is implicated in a large number of leading causes of death. It participates in a great number of enzymatic and other chemical reactions in the body. Lots of information can be had from the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University.
And many years ago, Bernard Rimland,Ph.D., founder of the Autism Research Institute, discovered the many autistic people have a deficiency of magnesium and vitamin B6.
If you are looking to have your levels checked, we recommend Red Blood Cell levels taken – that’s the most accurate.
High Fructose Intake Linked to Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Disease January 25, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in Allergies, Chemical Toxicity, Food Effects on Brain, Medical Studies.add a comment
An article from Medscape emphasizes the damage from high fructose corn syrup used in sodas (and practically everything else). Here’s the Clinical highlights:
Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, which is found in sweetened soda, has increased nearly 20-fold during the past 30 years, with average yearly intake of high-fructose corn syrup as an added sweetener approaching 62.4 pounds per person. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that regular soda and other sweetened beverages account for more than 70% of this intake.
In parallel with increasing rates of high-fructose corn syrup consumption, rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and chronic kidney disease have increased dramatically. Epidemiological surveys suggest an association between regular, but not diet, soda consumption and the frequency of hyperuricemia, and animal studies suggest that the metabolism of high-fructose corn syrup may lead to elevations in uric acid levels.
In the current study by Bomback and colleagues, the study authors assessed the effect of sugar-sweetened soda intake on the risk for hyperuricemia and reduced kidney function.
Int J Obesity. Published online December 22, 2009.
Kidney Int. Published online December 23, 2009.
Handedness Linked to ADHD January 25, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in ADHD, Disconnect, Hemisphericity, Medical Studies, Neuro-behavioral Disorders.4 comments
An interesting article came through today from Medpage Today about handedness and ADHD. Here’s some excerpts (emphasis mine):
Ambidextrous five-year-olds are more likely to develop attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder symptoms later on as compared with right- and left-handed children, according to a study by a team of Swedish researchers.
The findings are an indication that brain morphology and neural circuitry associated with handedness also affects cognitive and behavioral function, according to Alina Rodriguez, PhD, of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues in an online report in Pediatrics.
“These studies together highlight the possible interconnection among mixed-handedness, neurotransmitter dysfunction in the right hemisphere, and ADHD symptoms,” they wrote.
Rodriguez and colleagues found that when these children were tested at age eight, teachers were about twice as likely to report hyperactivity (odds ratio 2.06, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.91) or a combination of inattention and hyperactivity (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.86) in the mixed-handed children compared with the right-handed ones.
“Mixed-handedness can be used as a marker of risk for difficulties and warrants additional evaluation,” they wrote.
Adjusting for gender and birth weight and gestational age reduced the strength of the association between mixed-handedness and behavioral and learning problems. The point estimates of odds ratios for inattention and/or hyperactivity declined to 1.4 to 1.6 and statistical significance was lost.
But that actually supports the hypothesis that brain abnormalities stemming from before birth underlie what they called “atypical lateralization” and subsequent learning and behavior problems, Rodriguez and colleagues indicated.
“Recent neuropsychological work related to patterns of brain organization and function corroborates our findings,” they added.
They cited research indicating that ADHD is associated with left-side motor deficits, apart from hand preference, as well as reduced attention to visual stimuli on the left versus right side. These observations suggest weaker right hemisphere function, Rodriguez and colleagues argued.
Other studies have suggested that neural transmission can be asymmetric between hemispheres, they said.
My comment: This is precisely the contention of Dr. Robert Melillo in his book Disconnected Kids, and one of the consistent findings we have with kids diagnosed with ADHD: asymetrical hemispheric function – underfunctioning right hemisphere relative to the left. This results in a functional disconnection syndrome as noted in a recent University of California-Davis study.
An Interesting Slideshow on Neuro-Plasticity January 24, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in Neuro-Plasticity, Uncategorized.add a comment
Kids Spend 10+ Hours Daily on Electronic Media January 22, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in ADHD, Attention, Environmental Stress, Functional Disconnection Syndrome, Neuro-behavioral Disorders, Play.add a comment
From LiveScience:
The amount of time kids spend with electronic entertainment media has risen dramatically in recent years, a new report concludes. Those who spend the most time with electronic media get lower grades.
Those age 8 to 18 spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes per day using TVs, computers, iPods, cell phones and other electronic devices, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. TV leads the way.
Much of that time is spent media multitasking. When that’s factored in, they average the equivalent of 10 hours and 45 minutes of using media content during those 7½ hours.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has concerns about this. Everywhere I see children plugged-in. Driving home last night from work I saw little TV screens on in the backseats of many SUVs. Kids come into my office with Nintendo DS’s at their fingertips and iPod earphones plugged into their ears.
Attempting to get kids to communicate with others (unless texting) is next to impossible.
Since most of these products are directed toward left brain function, and very little toward right brain function, we can appreciate the upsurge in left brain issues such as ADHD and others. And we don’t even know what the electronic smog is doing to our children yet!
PLAY is NOT something one does with an electronic device! It’s learning how to interact with others on a social level.
It’s time to monitor our children’s electronic habits!
More Teens Abuse ADHD Stimulants January 22, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in ADHD, Co-morbidity, Functional Disconnection Syndrome, Medication, Neuro-behavioral Disorders.add a comment
Abuse of stimulants prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — particularly amphetamines — is on the rise among teens, researchers say.
Calls to poison centers about teen victims of prescription ADHD drugs jumped 76% between 1998 and 2005, Jennifer Setlik, MD, of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics.
“The sharp increase, out of proportion to other poison center calls and general poison center use, suggests a rising problem with abuse, teen abuse, and particularly teen ADHD stimulant medication abuse,” the researchers said. “It may be that abuse is rising, or it may be that increased calls are a result of the escalating severity, perhaps reflecting the shift toward amphetamine use.”
I am not against medication in some cases. However, one of the problems with medication is that there is a high prevalence of people with ADHD to have addiction disorders, which is a co-morbidity to the condition. Also, their executive function is immature so they don’t know when to stop. AND, ADHDers have reduced right hemispheric function (inhibition) so many have no fear of repercussions. A perfect storm.
Prenatal exposure to flame-retardant compounds affects neurodevelopment of young children January 22, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in Chemical Toxicity, Environmental Stress, Epigenetics, Neuro-behavioral Disorders.add a comment
One more horror story of the epigenetic effects of one of the 100,000+ man-made chemicals in the environment. From Columbia University School of Public Health:
Prenatal exposure to ambient levels of flame retardant compounds called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in young children, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
The researchers found that children with higher concentrations of PBDEs in their umbilical cord blood at birth scored lower on tests of mental and physical development between the ages of one and six. Developmental effects were particularly evident at four years of age, when verbal and full IQ scores were reduced 5.5 to 8.0 points for those with the highest prenatal exposures.
Frederica Perera, DrPh, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School, CCCEH Director, and coauthor added, “These findings are of potential concern, because IQ is a predictor of future educational performance; and the observed reductions in IQ scores are in the range seen with low level lead exposure.” This research underscores the need for preventive policies to reduce toxic exposures occurring in utero.”
One more reason to be sure your (and your child’s) detoxification system is working at peak efficiency. Since much of these chemicals are stored in body fat, wishing-to-be-moms should want to do a chemical screening and “detoxing”, if appropriate, prior to getting pregnancy.
The Environmental Working Group did a study a few years ago and found over 200 man-made chemicals in the placental cord blood of newborns. Just where do you think they came from? Yup, mum.
We now live in a time where we have to be aware of our environment and how to take steps to prevent neurobehavioral disorders due to chemical toxication.
APsaA: Are Physicians Too Quick to Medicate ADHD? January 22, 2010
Posted by brainbalancer in ADHD, Attention, Epigenetics, Medication.add a comment
Physicians may be too quick to medicate children suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers said here.
The etiology of the disease is not well understood, and while some cases may have neurological causes, children may respond to psychotherapy instead, Esther Fine, PhD, a psychoanalyst in private practice in Los Angeles, told attendees at the American Psychoanalytic Association meeting…
‘Teachers and parents are looking for a quick fix,’ added Mark D. Smaller, PhD, a psychoanalyst in private practice in Chicago who was not involved in the paper. ‘They’re reluctant to look at what’s behind that behavior, at what’s going on at home.’
One reason is that teachers may be diagnosing children as having ADHD. Concerned parents then request medications from pediatricians, Fine said, and pediatricians may be too quick to comply.
In our experience many people don’t care about what’s driving a behavior, only that the behavior stops – “the quick fix”. There are many physical and mental/emotional factors involved that need to be explored, not only to reduce or eliminate the symptoms but also for the quality of life from youth on.
