scholarly journals Alien Attack: A Non-Pharmaceutical Complement for ADHD Treatment

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1321
Author(s):  
Sofia Ahufinger ◽  
Pilar Herrero-Martín

Mental health issues are among the most common health issues nowadays, with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) being the most common neurobehavioral disorder affecting children and adolescents. ADHD is a heterogeneous disease affecting patients in various cognitive domains that play a key role in daily life, academic development, and social abilities. Furthermore, ADHD affects not only patients but also their families and their whole environment. Although the main treatment is based on pharmacotherapy, combined therapies including cognitive training and psychological therapy are often recommended. In this paper, we propose a user-centered application called Alien Attack for cognitive training of children with ADHD, based on working memory, inhibitory control, and reaction-time tasks, to be used as a non-pharmacological complement for ADHD treatment in order to potentiate the patients’ executive functions (EFs) and promote some beneficial effects of therapy.

Author(s):  
Bachir Benarba ◽  
Adel Gouri

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 or novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection pandemic continues to spread. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Wuhan (China), healthcare workers have been infected and are considered at high risk of contamination. Moreover, in addition to the physical effects of COVID-19, the pandemic results in important mental health issues among healthcare workers such as anxiety, stress, depression, and further nervous or mental disorders. Despite the increasing number of clinical trials aiming to develop vaccines or test antiviral molecules, till now no efficient anti- SARS-CoV-2 drugs have been validated. The COVID-19 pandemic led us to call for an urgent nutritional intervention model that should be established to prevent and/or reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. In the present paper, we suggest a safe nutritional supplementation of Mg-Zn- B vitamins (B1, B6, B9, and B12) in healthcare workers as pre-exposure and post-exposure new prophylactic treatments. Furthermore, the paper reports the scientific arguments and the possible mechanisms by which the Mg-Zn- B vitamins supplementation may exert its beneficial effects in the healthcare workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the Mg-Zn- B vitamins supplementation would enhance the immune response against SARS-CoV2, prevent inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, fight or alleviate the COVID-19-related mental health issues, or even reduce the replication. Each element of the supplementation possesses important and promising effects contributing to the possible efficiency of the suggested Mg-Zn- B vitamins supplementation in healthcare workers. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Supplementation, Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamins B.


2021 ◽  
Vol 271 ◽  
pp. 03048
Author(s):  
Yunpeng Tang

The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and the ineffective traditional treatment methods have become difficult social problems nowadays. From the perspective of art therapy, this paper has put forward the concept of interaction, and considering the clinical experience related to the pathology of children with ADHD, focused on the analysis of the requirements, design and implementation methods of immersive interactive animation in the treatment of ADHD, so as to provide theoretical basis for interdisciplinary research of animation arts in the field of ADHD treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saray Bonete ◽  
Ángela Osuna ◽  
Clara Molinero ◽  
Inmaculada García-Font

Previous studies have explored the impact of magic tricks on different basic cognitive processes yet there is a need of examining effectiveness of a cognitive training program through magic tricks for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study examines the effectiveness and feasibility of the MAGNITIVE program, a manualized intervention for cognitive training through the learning of magic tricks. A total of 11 children with ADHD (from 8 to 12 years) participated in separated groups of two different community settings (hospital center and school), and were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a 3-month later follow-up in different tasks involving processing speed, sustained attention, selective attention, and mental flexibility. Using non parametric statistical analyses and Reliable Change Index, the results showed that these children receiving MAGNITIVE particularly improved their performance in sustained attention, shifting attention, and mental flexibility, changes were also observed in processing speed performance yet further research is needed in terms of selective attention and inhibition, given the great individual differences within this sample. Changes were maintained when the program was finished. In terms of viability, the study proved a good treatment integrity in different contexts (hospital and school setting), adherence to the curriculum (attendance and some practice at home), and high levels of engagement satisfaction. In this second clinical trial, MAGNITIVE program appears to be a feasible training program for children with ADHD, as an alternative for medication when possible.


2016 ◽  
pp. 1279-1298
Author(s):  
Bader Binhadyan ◽  
Indrit Troshani ◽  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe

The key role for IS/IT in e-health has now been well established; however, within e-health the area of e-mental health is still new and emerging and scholars and practitioners alike are dubious as to the role for IS/IT and its benefits. We propose using Actor-network Theory (ANT) to assist in understanding the enabling role in e-mental health and we focus on one area of mental health, adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We focus on Saudi Arabia. Attention to ADHD has begun to gain growing attention from Saudi Arabia healthcare providers and researchers. Currently, there is an estimated 15% of school age children suffering from ADHD. More than half of these children are expected to continue to show the symptoms of ADHD through their adolescence and adulthood. ADHD impacts the quality of life these individuals. Technology has the potential to improve mental health services this can be seen in enabling early intervention or treatment for people with mental health issues. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in e-health and aiming to build a complete patient electronic record by 2020.


2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Berger-Jenkins ◽  
Mary McKay ◽  
Jeffrey Newcorn ◽  
William Bannon ◽  
Danielle Laraque

Objective. Disparities in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment are recognized with minority children using services less than nonminority children. The authors examine minority parents’ knowledge and perceptions of ADHD as they relate to service utilization. Methods. Using a longitudinal cohort design, parents of children with untreated ADHD were surveyed regarding their knowledge and perceptions of ADHD and then followed for 3 to 6 months to determine whether they used services. Results. Seventy parents of 5- to 18-year-old children with untreated ADHD were enrolled. Of the 70 children, 33 (47.1%) had not attended any mental health appointments and 51 (72.9%) had not used any treatments by 3- to 6-month follow-up. Logistic regression indicated that increasing age and medication concerns were associated with less follow-up at mental health appointments ( P < .05) and less utilization of treatments ( P < .05). Conclusions. The results of this study highlight the importance of addressing medication concerns, when referring minority children to mental health services or offering treatments.


2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 89-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Greenhill ◽  
D. H. Beyer ◽  
J. Finkleson ◽  
D. Shaffer ◽  
J. Biederman ◽  
...  

Objective: To review published algorithms for guiding the use of methylphenidate (MPH) in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Methods: A consensus roundtable of 12 experts was convened to review the evidence for the safety and efficacy of MPH in the treatment of ADHD, as well as the published algorithms and practice guidelines for using MPH. The experts reviewed the algorithms for practicality and acceptability by clinicians. Results: Algorithms that included MPH commonly selected it as the initial medication to be employed in the treatment of children with ADHD. Factors involved included its high efficacy, good safety record, and the ubiquitous nature of its appearance in the ADHD treatment literature. Conclusions: MPH should be considered as the first medication to be used in a treatment algorithm for children and adolescents with ADHD.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuxian Chen ◽  
Jinglong Yu ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Jin Zhang ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
...  

Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Multiple cognitive training appeared to be more effective than working memory training, but the evidence remains insufficient, particularly for the subgroup symptoms and executive function behaviors at home. Further analysis of the impact of factors on the effectiveness would facilitate the development of cognitive training.Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Psyche, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, CNKI, and Weifang Database, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of children with ADHD undergoing cognitive intervention. Metaanalysis and univariate metaregression were performed by STATE. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool 2.0 by the two investigators separately. This study was registered with INPLASY, number INPLASY202140065.Results: We included 17 RCTs in the systematic review, with a combined 1,075 participants. For metaanalyses of both subgroups of ADHD symptoms and the executive function behaviors, the test of published bias failed to reach the p &lt; 0.05 level. When all of the training are considered together, cognitive training can improve the presentation of inattention symptoms [SMD = −0.390, 95%CI (−0.675, −0.104)] and executive function behaviors (SMD = −0.319, 95%CI (−0.527, −0.111)]. In the subgroup analysis, the effects of working memory training on both presentations were not statistically significant. In contrast, the multiple cognitive training had significant effects on the presentation of inattention symptoms [SMD = −0.507, 95% CI (−0.722, −0.292)], hyperactivity/impulsivity [SMD = −0.305, 95% CI (−0.518, −0.09)], and the executive function behaviors [SMD = −0.499, 95%CI (−0.707, −0.290)]. In addition, metaregression analysis showed that only training frequency did significantly impact the symptoms of ADHD and the executive function behaviors.Conclusion: This study showed that improvements in symptoms and executive function behaviors were related to the domains of cognitive intervention. The findings suggest that multiple domains of cognitive training and moderate training frequency may have wider clinical benefits. All the above results highlight further research in refining the executive functions of children with ADHD and developing individually tailored cognitive intervention on homes based for children with vulnerable executive functions.Systematic Review Registration: [http://inplasy.com/], [INPLASY202140065].


2020 ◽  
pp. 574-582
Author(s):  
Ann M. Dietrich

Foreign bodies are common in children. Ear, nose, gastrointestinal , vaginal, and rectal foreign bodies are all possible and may pose a challenge to the clinician. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, or mental health issues are more likely to insert a foreign body into an orifice. Both organic and non-organic objects may be inserted. Most objects do not cause problems, but objects such as magnets, batteries, and long, sharp objects may result in significant adverse events. If one object is present, there may also be other objects in other locations, so a comprehensive evaluation must be conducted. This chapter reviews the clinical presentation, diagnostic options, and therapeutic choices for management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 238146831986762
Author(s):  
Roel D. Freriks ◽  
Jochen O. Mierau ◽  
Jurjen van der Schans ◽  
Annabeth P. Groenman ◽  
Pieter J. Hoekstra ◽  
...  

Objectives. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children through prevention of serious delinquent behavior. Cost-effectiveness was assessed in net-monetary benefit (NMB). Methods. To evaluate the three major forms of ADHD treatment (medication management, behavioral treatment, and the combination thereof) relative to community-delivered treatment (control condition), we used data from 448 children, aged 7 to 10, who participated in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD. We developed a three-state continuous-time Markov model (no delinquency, minor to moderate delinquency, serious delinquency) to extrapolate the results 10 years beyond the 14-month trial period at a 3% discount rate. Serious delinquency was considered an absorbing state to enable assessment in life-years (LYs) of serious delinquent behavior prevented. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was set equal to the annual cost associated with serious delinquency in children with ADHD of $12,370. Results. Modeled and observed outcomes matched closely with a mean difference of 6.9% in LYs of serious delinquent behavior prevented. The economic evaluation revealed a NMB of $95,449, $88,553, $90,536 and $98,660 for medication management, behavioral treatment, combined treatment, and routine community care, respectively. Estimates remained stable after linearly increasing the WTP threshold between $0 and $50,000 in the deterministic sensitivity analyses. Conclusions. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of treatments for ADHD in children using continuous-time Markov modeling. We show that treatment evaluation in broader societal outcomes is essential for policy makers, as the three major forms of ADHD treatment turned out to be inferior to the control condition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. FSO415
Author(s):  
Daniel Mansson

Daniel Mansson is a clinical psychologist, cofounder and CEO of Flow. As a clinical psychologist at Sarpsborg DPS, a psychiatric clinic in Norway, Daniel performed extensive investigations and treatments for patients with conditions including depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In 2012, Daniel met Erik Rehn, where they both worked in the research department of computational biology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. In January 2016, with combined backgrounds in clinical psychology, computer networks, computational neuroscience and electrical engineering, they launched Flow. The mission was simple: to find new ways to treat mental health issues with the help of science and technology. Based in Malmo, Sweden, Daniel is the driving force behind Flow and spearheads the research, innovation and business development.


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