This actually ran in December 2008, but today was the first time I ran across it, and I thought it was blog-worthy:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/dailydose/11/25/adhd.kids.brain/index.html
Here are some of the important tidbits I took away from this article, which features Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who I really admire and trust:
1. Healthy brains and brains with ADHD mature in the same pattern (front to back), but not at the same rate.
2. The delay might be about 3 years in some regions. So certain regions of a child with a healthy brain might mature at age 7, while a brain with ADHD might not see regions mature until age 10.
3. In ADHD brains, the areas that appear to mature more slowly are the areas that control attention, action and control.
4. According to Dr. Gupta, kids with ADHD will probably outgrow it, but it might not be until “well after adolescence or into adulthood.”
5. This research might help scientists develop drugs or procedures that help the brain mature faster. Or perhaps drugs/procedures that could help dull impulsivity.
