Hello, yesmam!
I actually think inchworms are fascinating creatures.....even the 3/4
inch variety! And a 3/4 inch worm with possible ADD is even more
unique. Keep your head up and be proud!!!
You have asked a question that is the subject of ongoing debate. Many
members of the medical community consider Attention Deficit Disorder
to be the result of a neurological defect in the brain. On the other
side are those who believe ADD is simply a variation of normal
temperament existing within the human population.
ARGUMENTS FOR A NEUROLOGICAL BASIS FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
==================================================================
Those who believe ADD has a neurological basis point to a dysfunction
of the right frontal lobe of the brain. Among other functions, the
right frontal lobe is important for tasks that require organization
and development and serves to inhibit distracting or irrelevant
stimulus.
"Recent research using advanced neuroimaging morphological procedures
has shown that ADD/ADHD children fail to show the normal
right-greater-than-left asymmetry in the mass of the frontal lobes."
Neurotherapy is an attempt to sidestep dependence on drugs or
behavioral management therapy by teaching patients to "normalize their
brainwave responses to stimuli."
To read more about Neurotherapy, see:
"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Disorder: Neurological Basis and
Treatment Alternatives," by Arreed Barabasz and Marianne Barabasz.
Journal of Neurotherapy.
http://www.snr-jnt.org/journalnt/jnt(1-1)1.html
====
Another very simple explanation follows:
"Experts believe that ADD has a large genetic component, and is caused
by a neuro-chemical disconnection between two parts of the frontal
lobes inside the brain. This affects the central nervous system?s
development, and thus causes impairment in the ability to
concentrate."
From "What Causes ADD?" Cook Counseling Center.
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/add3.html
====
The Role of Dopamine:
"ADD/ADHD is simply caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain,
therefore affecting the way our brain functions. In order for us to be
able to think clearly, to stable our moods, to control our impulses,
regulate the amount of energy our body needs to enable us to succeed
in activities or situations at hand, our brain must function properly.
However, in order for this to happen our brain relies on a number of
chemicals that the brain produces naturally, and distributes in
correct quantities to the appropriate parts of the brain. However if
the brain produces too much or too little of the chemicals it causes
the brain to dysfunction therefore causing us to act in an unusual
manner."
"The chemical responsible for ADD/ADHD is called Dopamine and it is
found to be produced in insufficient amounts in the front part of the
brain. This is the chemical responsible for the area of the brain that
controls our moods, impulses and concentration."
"There is evidence that the condition can be a genetic one, and that
the make up of the genes are responsible for producing the chemical
Dopamine. Therefore it is likely that other family members such as
parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents could suffer from ADD/ADHD."
From "What Causes ADD/ADHD?"
http://www.mk-adhd.org.uk/Information%20sections/Medical/What%20causes%20ADDandADHD.htm
ARGUMENTS AGAINST A NEUROLOGICAL BASIS FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
=====================================================================
From "The Disorder vs. Temperament Debate," by Teresa Gallagher.
http://borntoexplore.org/debate.htm
"Most professionals in the medical community believe attention deficit
disorder (ADD) is caused by a neurological "defect" and therefore
constitutes a psychiatric disorder. This brain defect is believed to
be largely hereditary and occurs in about 5% of the populations
(estimates vary)."
"Some temperamental researchers believe ADD behavioral traits are
simply expressions of normal temperamental variations within the
population, although they agree that intervention of some type is
often necessary."
==
It might be comforting to note that very creative individuals often
exhibit the symptoms of both ADD and ADHD. The impulsivity,
hyperactivity and inattention that often serve as markers of ADD seem
to coincide with highly creative minds.
==
The article refutes three prominent arguments that are often used to
categorize ADD as a neurological defect:
1. "When a child who is hyperactive and inattentive in the classroom
is given Ritalin, they behave like a normal child and can pay
attention. Therefore, the child obviously has a brain defect."
Why this argument does not hold water....
"Because a drug can change an undesirable trait does not prove the
trait was a defect. Take short people, for example. Studies show that
short people are generally discriminated against in this country, even
on the job. If parents wanted their genetically short son to grow to
be six feet tall, they could theoretically give him growth hormones
and he would be taller. Does this prove that his natural height of
five feet is a defect?
"Moreover, the same child who cannot pay attention in class will
typically have a very long attention span and be easy to handle if he
is doing something which interests him. So does the Ritalin actually
increase the child's attention span or does it simply allow the child
to tolerate boredom?"
"Gifted children often display the exact same behavior problems in
school as ADD children. If valium was effective in allowing the gifted
child to tolerate a slower class and behave properly, would this prove
the child had a brain defect?"
"Another example. Caffeine has been proven to increase alertness for
most people, and they retain more information while under its affects.
Does this prove that most people have a brain defect because they
perform better when taking caffeine?"
===
2. "The symptoms of ADD are occasionally duplicated by minor damage to
the forebrain. If a few cases of ADD are known to result from brain
damage, then this proves that all ADD is caused by damage or a defect
of the brain."
Hold on here......
"If malnutrition can cause someone to be short, does that prove that
everyone who is short suffers from some sort of defect? Of course not.
Environmental effects can and often do mimic genetic traits."
===
3. "Neurological differences have been found in the brains of ADDers.
Therefore, ADD is caused by a neurological defect."
Whoa, Nellie.....
"There are neurological differences between boys and girls, too. Girls
tend to do better at some things and worse at other things than boys.
For any increase in ability there is typically an equal decrease in
some other ability. Every adaptation is a tradeoff. But both brain
types are normal. Neither boys nor girls have a neurological defect
which requires treatment (although it's not uncommon for members of
the opposite sex to believe so). Scientists argued for a long time
that women were intellectually inferior, and they used their evidence
of neurological differences as an argument. Now the same argument is
being used again by the medical community to prove that ADDers are
inferior."
"The increase in creativity and inventiveness which many ADDers have
may come at a cost, but that does not make ADD a brain defect, unless
of course normal people have a brain defect because they are less
creative."
======
Has this information been helpful or have I lost you along the way? I hope not.
While you may have a short attention-span, you certainly ask some
unusual and interesting questions that make our jobs as researchers a
heck of a lot more fun!!! Thank you for that!
Wishing you all the best!
umiat
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