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Physician, Writer and Bird Photographer. Translating Neuroscience Research Into Better Care for Brain Disorders.
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595 posts
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- April 27, 2015
- 10:50 AM
- 614 views
ADHD and Vehicular Accident Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Attention and impulsive behaviors found in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can contribute to accident risk in children and adults.A recent study of adult drivers in France provides evidence for increased accident risk in adults with ADHD.Researchers at the Bordeaux University Hospital interviewed a series of adult drivers seen in the emergency department following a road traffic crash.A total of 777 eligible subjects completed assessments of accident information, distraction expo........ Read more »
El Farouki K, Lagarde E, Orriols L, Bouvard MP, Contrand B, & Galéra C. (2014) The increased risk of road crashes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adult drivers: driven by distraction? Results from a responsibility case-control study. PloS one, 9(12). PMID: 25536069
- April 22, 2015
- 12:13 PM
- 669 views
Brain EEG and the Genetics of ADHD
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Twin studies in ADHD demonstrate a significant genetic contribution to the disorder.Linking this genetic influence to specific biomarkers may provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of ADHD.Grainne McLoughlin and colleagues at the University of California San Diego and King's College London recently published a twin study of brain EEG and the genetics of ADHD.In their study 67 twin pairs (34 monozygotic and 33 dizygotic) between the ages of 12 and 15 years completed tasks measuring........ Read more »
McLoughlin G, Palmer JA, Rijsdijk F, & Makeig S. (2014) Genetic overlap between evoked frontocentral theta-band phase variability, reaction time variability, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a twin study. Biological psychiatry, 75(3), 238-47. PMID: 24001472
- April 20, 2015
- 11:32 AM
- 602 views
ADHD and Autism Overlap: Adult Twin Study
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Clinical studies show high rates of ADHD in adults with autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These studies have estimated the prevalence of ADHD in adults with ASD at between 28 and 44% of individuals. The prevalence of ADHD in the adult general population without ASD is estimated at 2.5%.Given the overlap between these two developmental disorders, it makes sense to examine genetic factors that might contribute to co-occurrence.TJC Polderman along with colleagues from the Netherlands, ........ Read more »
Polderman TJ, Hoekstra RA, Posthuma D, & Larsson H. (2014) The co-occurrence of autistic and ADHD dimensions in adults: an etiological study in 17,770 twins. Translational psychiatry. PMID: 25180574
- April 16, 2015
- 10:32 AM
- 643 views
What is Neurofeedback Training for ADHD?
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There are a variety of behavioral strategies for treating the attention and activity components of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).One of these strategies is known as neurofeedback. A recent study in the journal Pediatrics found evidence for effectiveness of in-school neurofeedback for ADHD in a randomized controlled trial.In this trial, 104 children between the ages of 7 and 11 years of age were randomized to one of three research arms: in-school neurofeedback, cognitive th........ Read more »
Steiner NJ, Frenette EC, Rene KM, Brennan RT, & Perrin EC. (2014) In-school neurofeedback training for ADHD: sustained improvements from a randomized control trial. Pediatrics, 133(3), 483-92. PMID: 24534402
- April 13, 2015
- 10:22 AM
- 719 views
Treating Insomnia in Children with ADHD
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Insomnia commonly complicates the clinical presentation and treatment in children with ADHD.Stimulant therapy may provide significant relief for daytime attention and hyperactivity symptoms. However, stimulants do not appear to help with comorbid insomnia. In fact, stimulant therapy may cause more problems with insomnia in ADHD.Behavioral treatments are known to be effective in children without ADHD. Now we have a recently published study showing the effectiveness of behavioral treatment of inso........ Read more »
Hiscock H, Sciberras E, Mensah F, Gerner B, Efron D, Khano S, & Oberklaid F. (2015) Impact of a behavioural sleep intervention on symptoms and sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parental mental health: randomised controlled trial. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 25646809
- April 9, 2015
- 10:38 AM
- 727 views
Brain Volume Differences in ADHD Normalize By Adulthood
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Brain volume differences in ADHD have been documented in some childhood studies.ADHD symptoms diminish with maturation in many but not all individuals. It is unclear whether this improvement in symptoms is also related to maturation of brain regions.A recent study from the Netherlands provides some answers on this issue. A. Marten H. Onnink and colleagues performed a structural MRI study of 119 adults with ADHD compared to a group of controls.This study is important because it examined effects o........ Read more »
Onnink AM, Zwiers MP, Hoogman M, Mostert JC, Kan CC, Buitelaar J, & Franke B. (2014) Brain alterations in adult ADHD: effects of gender, treatment and comorbid depression. European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 24(3), 397-409. PMID: 24345721
- April 8, 2015
- 11:16 AM
- 771 views
Adult ADHD and Brain White Matter Deficits
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
In my last post I reviewed a recent diffusion tensor imaging study of ADHD in children. This study found evidence for brain white matter deficits in several ciruitry regions including frontal, temporal and occipital areas.To follow up on this post, I want to highlight a recent study of DTI in adults with ADHD.This study from Brazil recruited 22 drug treatment-naive subjects between the ages of 18 and 50 years of age.This study excluded subjects with a history of substance dependence or other med........ Read more »
Chaim TM, Zhang T, Zanetti MV, da Silva MA, Louzã MR, Doshi J, Serpa MH, Duran FL, Caetano SC, Davatzikos C.... (2014) Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study of treatment-naïve adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. PloS one, 9(10). PMID: 25310815
- April 7, 2015
- 11:57 AM
- 855 views
ADHD and Brain White Matter Deficits
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Structural brain imaging studies in ADHD fail to find consistent differences from non-ADHD populations.However, there is increasing evidence linking ADHD to changes in brain white matter function.An example of these findings is a recent study from China examining white matter in children with ADHD.ADHD is typically subgrouped into inattention (ADHD-I), hyperactivity ADHD-H or combined categories (ADHD-C). In the recent Chinese study, inattention and combined subgroups of children were compa........ Read more »
Lei D, Ma J, Du X, Shen G, Jin X, & Gong Q. (2014) Microstructural abnormalities in the combined and inattentive subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Scientific reports, 6875. PMID: 25363043
- April 1, 2015
- 11:20 AM
- 589 views
Fatherhood and the Biology of Infant Care Behavior
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Early positive parental-infant attachment provides a key developmental advantage.The maternal-infant dyad has received the most research attention. However, fathers also can play an important role in infant development. An increasing number of studies focus on the biology of fatherhood and infant care behavior.Ilanit Gordon along with colleagues in Israel and the United States examined the role of two central neuropeptides in paternal behavior during the first six months of infancy.In their stud........ Read more »
Gordon I, Zagoory-Sharon O, Leckman JF, & Feldman R. (2010) Prolactin, Oxytocin, and the development of paternal behavior across the first six months of fatherhood. Hormones and behavior, 58(3), 513-8. PMID: 20399783
Mascaro JS, Hackett PD, Gouzoules H, Lori A, & Rilling JK. (2014) Behavioral and genetic correlates of the neural response to infant crying among human fathers. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 9(11), 1704-12. PMID: 24336349
- March 30, 2015
- 11:25 AM
- 804 views
One Parent,Two Parents and Child Well-Being
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The structure of the family in the United States and other countries is changing. This change has occurred over a relatively brief period of time. Data noted in the study I am reviewing today shows that between 1970 and 2013 in the U.S.:Percentage of children living with two parents dropped 24%Percentage of children living with a single mother increased to 23.7%Percentage of children living with a single father quadrupled to 4.1%Percentage of children living with a grandparent doubled to 6......... Read more »
Krueger PM, Jutte DP, Franzini L, Elo I, & Hayward MD. (2015) Family structure and multiple domains of child well-being in the United States: a cross-sectional study. Population health metrics, 6. PMID: 25729332
- March 26, 2015
- 11:17 AM
- 699 views
Parenting Moderates Childhood Brain Stress Response
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Child brain development benefits from a positive parenting style and environment.The mechanism for this positive effect is unclear but moderation of the stress response in the growing child is an area of research interest.Haroon Sheikh and colleagues from the University of Ontario in Canada recently published results on a study of parenting and brain development in children.In their study, a cohort of 46 six year old girls underwent brain imaging using a technique known as diffusion tensor imagi........ Read more »
Sheikh HI, Joanisse MF, Mackrell SM, Kryski KR, Smith HJ, Singh SM, & Hayden EP. (2014) Links between white matter microstructure and cortisol reactivity to stress in early childhood: evidence for moderation by parenting. NeuroImage. Clinical, 77-85. PMID: 25379418
- March 25, 2015
- 10:37 AM
- 698 views
Parental Education As Risk Factor For Eating Disorders
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to the risk for anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.Known risk factors for anorexia nervosa include female gender, young age, family member with anorexia nervosa, weight loss, and participation in weight sensitive sports or activities, i.e. gymnastics, dancing.There has also been evidence that anorexia nervosa is more common in higher socioeconomic classes. This finding has made it one of the few brain disorders more common with this cate........ Read more »
Goodman A, Heshmati A, & Koupil I. (2014) Family history of education predicts eating disorders across multiple generations among 2 million Swedish males and females. PloS one, 9(8). PMID: 25162402
- March 23, 2015
- 11:01 AM
- 760 views
Smoking in Pregnancy and Child Brain Development
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Smoking during pregnancy produces significant and diverse effects on prenatal development.These adverse effects include dysfunction in prenatal and early childhood brain development.Hanan El Marroun and colleagues from the Netherlands recently published an important childhood brain imaging study of smoking during pregnancy.One hundred and thirteen children exposed to tobacco during pregnancy were compared to a control group of unexposed children.Both groups of children between 6 and 8 years of a........ Read more »
El Marroun H, Schmidt MN, Franken IH, Jaddoe VW, Hofman A, van der Lugt A, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H, & White T. (2014) Prenatal tobacco exposure and brain morphology: a prospective study in young children. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(4), 792-800. PMID: 24096296
- March 17, 2015
- 11:56 AM
- 830 views
Physical Exercise Effects on Brain EEG
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There are a variety of methods to study the effects on exercise on brain function. Brain imaging techniques such as fMRI provides a new tool to search for regional effects of acute and chronic exercise.Another tool that has received less attention is the electroencephalogram or EEG. One EEG measure of brain function is the individual alpha peak frequency or iAPF.The iAPF is positively correlated with arousal, attention and speed of information processing. Higher iAPF is linked to faster spe........ Read more »
Gutmann B, Mierau A, Hülsdünker T, Hildebrand C, Przyklenk A, Hollmann W, & Strüder HK. (2015) Effects of physical exercise on individual resting state EEG alpha peak frequency. Neural plasticity, 717312. PMID: 25759762
- February 18, 2015
- 11:53 AM
- 630 views
Exercise Guidelines in Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
A series of seven guidelines for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has recently been published.These guidelines resulted from a conference of experts in nutrition and the brain.The guidelines included a recommendation for 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week.Support for this exercise recommendation by experts was linked to 2 areas of research:Observational studies show lower rates of AD in regular exercise groups compared to sedentary groupsA single clinical trial found red........ Read more »
Barnard ND, Bush AI, Ceccarelli A, Cooper J, de Jager CA, Erickson KI, Fraser G, Kesler S, Levin SM, Lucey B.... (2014) Dietary and lifestyle guidelines for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of aging. PMID: 24913896
- February 4, 2015
- 09:32 AM
- 631 views
Exercise in the Elderly: BDNF and Executive Function
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Exercise promotes cognitive function in children, adults and elderly individuals.The mechanism for this effect is unclear. Some of the effect may be due to a general improvement in vascular function and health.Another potential mechanism is via increased neuroplasticity mediated by neurotrophic factors.Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) is a known contributor to brain neuroplasticity. Levels of BNDF can be determined with serum assays.RL Leckie and colleagues recently found support for BND........ Read more »
Leckie RL, Oberlin LE, Voss MW, Prakash RS, Szabo-Reed A, Chaddock-Heyman L, Phillips SM, Gothe NP, Mailey E, Vieira-Potter VJ.... (2014) BDNF mediates improvements in executive function following a 1-year exercise intervention. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 985. PMID: 25566019
- February 2, 2015
- 11:39 AM
- 863 views
Exercise in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Growing evidence links physical activity to improved cognitive outcome in elderly individuals.Few studies have examined effects of exercise on those at highest risk for Alzheimer's disease.J Carson Smith and colleagues recently published a prospective study of a cohort of older adults using structural magnetic resonance imaging.The key elements of the design of their study included the following elements:Participants: 97 adults between the ages of 65 and 89Physical activity level: Frequency and ........ Read more »
Smith JC, Nielson KA, Woodard JL, Seidenberg M, Durgerian S, Hazlett KE, Figueroa CM, Kandah CC, Kay CD, Matthews MA.... (2014) Physical activity reduces hippocampal atrophy in elders at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 61. PMID: 24795624
- January 26, 2015
- 10:02 AM
- 640 views
Obesity, Inflammation and Cognitive Decline
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The rate of cognitive decline with aging is quite variable. Identifying important components of this process is needed for developing interventions to reduce the burden of Alzheimer's and other dementias.Excess inflammation has been linked to obesity as well as aging-related cognitive decline.Archana Singh-Manoux and colleagues recently published a study of the association between blood markers of inflammation and cognitive decline.This study used data from the U.K. Whitehall II cohort, a g........ Read more »
Singh-Manoux A, Dugravot A, Brunner E, Kumari M, Shipley M, Elbaz A, & Kivimaki M. (2014) Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein as predictors of cognitive decline in late midlife. Neurology, 83(6), 486-93. PMID: 24991031
- January 19, 2015
- 10:09 AM
- 827 views
Mediterranean Diet and Aging
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There is a growing research body of evidence to support beneficial effects of a Mediterranean diet on brain health.In previous posts I have reviewed research on the Mediterranean diet and:Cognitive DeclineAlzheimer's Disease PreventionA recent study adds an important element in potential mechanisms for the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet.Marta Crous-Bou and colleauges from Harvard University and the University of Washington published a study of the Mediterranean diet and chromosome ........ Read more »
Crous-Bou M, Fung TT, Prescott J, Julin B, Du M, Sun Q, Rexrode KM, Hu FB, & De Vivo I. (2014) Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses' Health Study: population based cohort study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 25467028
- January 14, 2015
- 10:51 AM
- 786 views
Obesity, Inflammation and the Brain
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Brain inflammation produces a variety of emotional, behavior and cognitive symptoms.I remember clearly a patient I cared for with central nervous system lupus erythrematosis (SLE). With SLE flairs she developed flagrant psychotic symptoms including hallucinations requiring inpatient psychiatric care.Between flares she had no significant psychiatric symptoms.Nicole Castanon and two colleagues from France have published a review of the role of obesity-associated inflammation and brain dysfunction......... Read more »
Castanon N, Lasselin J, & Capuron L. (2014) Neuropsychiatric comorbidity in obesity: role of inflammatory processes. Frontiers in endocrinology, 74. PMID: 24860551
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