HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Struggling with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (kids with ADHD would experience a full remission at some point during their passage into adulthood.
However, most of those kids would later experience a recurrence of their ADHD symptoms as their remission faded. Overall, about two-thirds of children with ADHD had fluctuating periods of remission and recurrence over time.
The new study was published online Aug. 13 in the and the motivational areas of the brain,”>
Given that, it makes sense that the disorder would come and go in many patients, since it’s driven partially by a person’s biology, Sibley said.
But that’s only part of the story. As with other illnesses that come with intermittent flare-ups, doctors are learning that specific “triggers” can exacerbate a person’s ADHD symptoms, she noted.
“What’s interesting to start thinking about is how you can essentially turn up or turn down the volume on those difficulties that you do have a genetic tendency towards, as a result of other things that might be going on in your environment or things like your health behaviors,” Sibley said.
Managing ADHD symptoms could be as simple as getting good sleep, exercising and eating right, or as profound as choosing a career that is less likely to stress you out or trigger your disorder, the doctors said.
“People with ADHD presumed to be in remission still require consistent monitoring, especially under stressful or high-demand circumstances when symptoms may become exacerbated,” Kolevzon said. “These findings also highlight the need for physicians who work with adults to become comfortable screening for and treating ADHD. ADHD persists across the lifespan and is a highly debilitating disorder associated with significant impact on work, relationships and day-to-day functioning that can be effectively addressed with treatment.”
Sibley thinks that this research ultimately provides a positive message for people with ADHD, by giving them a chance to proactively manage their symptoms.
“I think we’re also learning ways that people with ADHD can take control of their own life, can make choices about getting themselves into the right environment so they can be successful, so people with ADHD can know what their triggers are and are able to do the things they need to do for themselves to keep themselves functioning well,” Sibley said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about ADHD.
SOURCES: Margaret Sibley, PhD, associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle; Alex Kolevzon, MD, director, child and adolescent psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City; Andrew Adesman, MD, chief, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; American Journal of Psychiatry, Aug. 13, 2021, online