Stimulant medication reduced sleep latency (the amount of time between going to bed and falling asleep), and reduced the amount of times people awoke in the middle of the night.  Study participants also reported improvement with their sleep pattern.  They felt they were more refreshed upon awakening.  Study subjects took methylphenidate twice a day. It [...]

In 2003, we were a site that participated in conducting a clinical trial for Secretin. The purpose of the study was to determine safety and efficacy of Secretin versus placebo in the treatment of Autism symptoms.  Unfortunately, the study results found that there was no difference in symptom change between children on Secretin and those on placebo.   Here’s an article [...]

When you have to have the newest tech gadget or go skydiving for the first time, your ventral striatum may be the culprit.  The ventral striatum is also the section of the brain where drug and alcohol use induces the release of dopamine.  In addition, compared to people without ADHD, people with ADHD have reduced activation in the [...]

NS2359 is a mixed monoamine reuptake inhibitor.  A study looked at the efficacy of NS2359 versus placebo in a double-blind randomized trial. There was no statistical difference in the total ADHD-RS scale score between those taking NS2359 and placebo.  However, when looking at the inattentive type of ADHD, 41% of those who took NS2359 had [...]

I’m almost finished with Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder.  The novel takes you from Greek philosophers all the way to Freud and post-modernism.  And it is all done through interspersing factual information with fiction.  Follow the adventures of Sophie Admundsen when a mysterious correspondence course in philosophy shows up in [...]

I was at church yesterday morning when I felt like I needed to get home right now.  I’ve never left in the middle of the service like that.  Let me tell you, if you get an intuition like that, go with it.  When I got home, Lucy greeted me at the door.  Toby was nowhere to [...]

A kid who hacked into his school’s computers to change his grades and steal tests was charged with 69 felonies.  If convicted, he could spend 38 years in prison.  Don’t get me wrong, hacking into the school computers, changing grades, and stealing tests was a colossal no-no.  But 38 years?  He should be hired by the CIA/FBI instead. He’s being [...]

I had a get-together/cookout at my house, and someone left this gargantuan container of ketchup.  What am I supposed to do with this?  Am I supposed to tell people, “Hey, make sure you take your mutant-sized condiment container home with you”?  It’s 7 pounds, 2 ounces of ketchup.  That’s the weight of a newborn.  For [...]

ABT-894 is a drug that is currently undergoing clinical trials for possible approval by the FDA for the treatment of adult ADHD.  Drugs have to undergo specific study phases and must demonstrate safety and efficacy before they are approved by the FDA.  ABT-894 is a neuronal nictotinic receptor (NNR) modulator.  NNRs modulate the release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine [...]

Nancy was my TA (teaching assistant) for my Diagnosis class at the University of Florida.  We got together for her birthday and for a going away party, as she and Jeff are moving to Virginia.  It was fun catching up with my former students! Steph and Nancy Nancy, Steph, and students (click on pic to [...]