February 2004 Newsletter

In this issue:
• How the myADHD.com Subscriber Administration Tool    benefits you?
• Buproprion may be effective smoking treatment for   adolescents with ADHD
• Adults with ADHD and "emotion deficits"
• Complementary Alternative Therapies for ADHD
• Having a child with ADHD affects maternal mental   health
• Featured myADHD.com Tools
      Sample Daily Report Card and Token Economy
      2004Medication Chart
      Childhood Disorders Checklist
• Upcoming Events-Workshop with Wilma Fellman,   M.Ed., LPC and more!

SUBSCRIBER ADMINISTRATION TOOL—A Very Popular Feature for myADHD.com Premium Subscribers!

The Subscriber Administration Tool was launched on January 1, 2004 and this past month subscribing healthcare professionals, parents, and educators have used the tool over and over to send and receive assessment and tracking rating scales. Completed rating scales to evaluate children and adults with ADHD and completed tracking tools to monitor progress are stored in their secure, encrypted private account. One teacher commented. Users have been excited to see how easy and efficient this system is to collect information.

Here is how it works! Using our Subscriber Administration Tool you can send an email with a link to one of the myADHD.com rating scales to a parent or teacher. The recipient can view and complete the scale online and you will be notified by e-mail that the completed scale is viewable in your myADHD.com account. Completed forms are stored for future reference throughout the term of your subscription and they can be e-mailed to others.

The Vanderbilt Assessment Scale, SNAP-IV Rating Scale, DSM IV ADHD Rating Scale and others found on myadhd.com are commonly used in ADHD research studies. These scales provide measures of core ADHD symptoms, academic performance, social adjustment, etc. And you can have the luxury of automated electronic scoring for several of the scales on myADHD.com if you are a Premium Subscriber.

WHAT IS NEW IN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

Bupropion SR (Wellbutrin or Zyban) shown to be effective in reducing smoking among adolescents with ADHD.
Bupropion SR has been shown to be an effective treatment for nicotine dependence in adults. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina investigated the effectiveness of a smoking cessation program with adolescents who have ADHD. This open-label pilot study examined the feasibility of buproprion SR in adolescents with nicotine dependence. Participants received burpropion SR titrated over one week to 150 mg b.i.d. and attended two brief smoking cessation counseling session. They maintained this dosage of medication for six weeks. Results reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 43 (2), February 2004, showed that the combination therapy may be safe and potentially effective for adolescents with nicotine dependence whether ADHD was present or not.

Adults with ADHD may have "emotion" deficits in addition to attention deficits.
A unique study of adults with ADHD by Friedman, S.R. et al and published in a 2003 volume of Neuropsychology was explained in a recent issue of The ADHD Report. The investigators showed film clips depicting an emotionally charged scene to 21 adults with ADHD and 32 adults without ADHD. Participants were asked to describe in their own words what was happening in the scene or to rate the emotions of each character. The group of ADHD individuals saw themselves as less competent in social control and expression, but more sensitive to violations of social norms. The study investigators suggested that they may have been less attuned to emotional content. They may tend to not recognize the emotions of others and to experience their own high-level emotions more intensely.

Use of complementary alternative medicine therapies for ADHD may not be uncommon.
Therapies such as dietary modification, vitamin supplements, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, herbal or "natural remedies, and sensory integration are not considered mainstream treatments by the majority of ADHD experts. They generally fall into the category of complementary alternative medicine. A recent study reported in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics surveyed 203 families whose children were referred for suspected ADHD. The survey assessed the types of complementary alternative medicine they may have used to treat their child's ADHD. Slightly over half the families reported that their child had been treated with traditional ADHD medications. A similar amount reported using complimentary alternative medicine. The most frequent types of complementary alternative medicine used were sensory integration treatment, occupational therapy, vitamin supplements, and diet. The investigators noted that parents may view both complementary alternative medicine and scientifically proven therapies as equally important. The study authors recommended that clinicians consider routinely discussing the use of complementary alternative therapies for ADHD.

Study reports association between ADHD and maternal mental health.
An article in the May 2003 issue of Pediatrics reported the