logo
Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong?

Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong?

New York Times13-04-2025

Even as prescriptions rise to a record high, some experts have begun to question our assumptions about the condition — and how to treat it.
Supported by
In the early 1990s, James Swanson was working as a research psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, where he specialized in the study of attention disorders. It was a touchy time for the field. The Church of Scientology had organized a nationwide protest campaign against the psychiatric profession, and Ritalin, then the leading medication prescribed to children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was one of its main targets. Whenever Swanson and his colleagues gathered for a scientific conference, they were met by chanting protesters waving signs and airplanes overhead pulling banners that read, 'Psychs, Stop Drugging Our Kids.'
It was true that prescription rates for Ritalin were on the rise. The number of American children diagnosed with A.D.H.D. more than doubled in the early 1990s, from fewer than a million patients in 1990 to more than two million in 1993, almost two-thirds of whom were prescribed Ritalin. To Swanson, at the time, that increase seemed entirely appropriate. Those two million children represented about 3 percent of the nation's child population, and 3 percent was the rate that he and many other scientists believed was an accurate measure of A.D.H.D. among children.
Still, you didn't have to be a Scientologist to acknowledge that there were some legitimate questions about A.D.H.D. Despite Ritalin's rapid growth, no one knew exactly how the medication worked or whether it really was the best way to treat children's attention issues. Anecdotally, doctors and parents would observe that when many children began taking stimulant medications like Ritalin, their behavior would improve almost overnight, but no one had measured in a careful, large-scale scientific study how common that positive response was or, for that matter, what the effects were on a child of taking Ritalin over the long term. And so Swanson and a team of researchers, with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, began a vast, multisite randomized controlled trial comparing stimulant treatment for A.D.H.D. with nonpharmaceutical approaches like parent training and behavioral coaching.
Swanson was in charge of the site in Orange County, Calif. He recruited and selected about 100 children with A.D.H.D. symptoms, all from 7 to 9 years old. They were divided into treatment groups — some were given regular doses of Ritalin, some were given high-quality behavioral training, some were given a combination and the remainder, a comparison group, were left alone to figure out their own treatment. The same thing happened at five other sites across the continent. Known as the Multimodal Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Study, or M.T.A., it was one of the largest studies ever undertaken of the long-term effects of any psychiatric medication.
'We have a clinical definition of A.D.H.D. that is increasingly unanchored from what we're finding in our science.'
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Survey: So how do Americans feel about math? The answer — like calculus and algebraic geometry — is complicated
Survey: So how do Americans feel about math? The answer — like calculus and algebraic geometry — is complicated

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Survey: So how do Americans feel about math? The answer — like calculus and algebraic geometry — is complicated

So how to best describe Americans' relationship with math? The answer is, well, a lot like multivariable calculus: It's complicated. A national Gallup study reveals that more than 90% of American adults believe math skills are essential — but almost half say they wish they had left middle or high school with sharper skills in the wide-ranging subject. And more than a third report having nothing but negative feelings about math. 'Americans overwhelmingly believe math is essential in life and work, but many wish they had gained more real-world skills like data science and financial literacy,' said Justin Lall, principal at Gallup in the study report. 'Aligning math education with these practical applications could not only boost engagement, but better prepare future generations for success.' Titled 'Math Matters Study: The Value of Math in Work & Life,' the Gallup research found that almost all Americans agree that math is important in their lives. With support from the Gates Foundation, the Gallup study surveyed a diverse group of 5,136 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, last December. Gallup also surveyed 2,831 managers. Ninety-five percent say math skills are 'very' or 'somewhat' important in their work life — and 96% say such skills are important in their personal lives. But disparities are found among generations. Sixty-five percent of adults aged 65 and older say math skills are 'very important' for work life, compared with 56% of 35- to 44-year-olds. Meanwhile, less than 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds consider math skills 'very important' in the workplace. Older Americans, according to the survey, are also more likely than younger adults to say math skills are important in their personal life. 'This single point in time survey cannot determine whether the oldest generations have valued math throughout their lives or whether the appreciation has grown as they have gotten older,' the survey noted. Across educational attainment, race and ethnicity, and household income, Americans' views of the importance of math skills are largely similar, the survey noted. A slight majority of study participants — 6 in 10 — believe math should be prioritized more highly than other school subjects. About a third feel math should be treated similarly to other subjects — while only 2% believe math should receive lower priority than other subjects. Meanwhile, a sizable number of Americans would likely be open to a math education 'do over.' More than 40% of U.S. adults responding to the Gallup study say they wish they had picked-up more math skills — a sentiment similar among Americans with a range of educational backgrounds. Desire to have learned more math in middle or high school is higher among Hispanic adults (51%) relative to Black (44%) and white adults (41%) — and higher among men compared with women (46% vs. 40%), according to the survey. And what specific math skills do many American adults wish they had learned more about as K-12 students? Financial math skills such as personal finances, budgeting and accounting top the wish list — followed by data science skills (such as managing spreadsheets), software, programming and statistics. No surprise, adults in the United States report a wide range of emotions regarding math. There's ambivalence about, say, algebra, geometry, calculus and other math subjects. The Gallup survey asked participants to select three words from a list of 10 to describe their math feelings. The selected word list included positive feelings such as 'happy' or 'interested' — and negative feelings such as 'bored' or 'confused.' The most frequently selected word was 'challenged,' suggesting a mixture of feelings toward math. Summarizing across the various math-related emotions, almost half of Americans (47%) have exclusively positive feelings about math — while 37% have exclusively negative feelings. Age is an important predictor of Americans' feelings toward math, the survey revealed. About half as many younger U.S. adults (32% of those aged 18 to 24) as older adults (61% of those ages 65 and older) have exclusively positive feelings toward math. While surveyed individuals report a personal mix of 'math feels,' there's apparently no such ambiguity in the workplace. The Gallup survey revealed the vast majority of managers value 'increased or enhanced math skills among their employees,' according to the survey. Eighty-five percent of managers wish their direct reports had more of at least one math skill — with the most desired skills being financial math, foundational math and data science. And students take note: More than half of managers surveyed say they will likely need to hire more individuals with data science skills such as managing spreadsheets or large amounts of information. Nearly 6 in 10 managers, according to the survey, say in the next five years it's 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' that they will need to hire more individuals with data science skills than they currently have. The mixed sentiments reflected in the Gallup study are likely of keen interest to both parents and educators of Utah's junior high and high school students — particularly at a moment of historic disruptions in America's K-12 educational institutions. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress — aka 'The Nation's Report Card' — indicates Beehive State students are outperforming their nationwide counterparts in math. The 'National Report Card' math assessments measured students' knowledge and skills in mathematics — and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts. In 2024, the average math score of fourth grade students in Utah was 242 — higher than the average score for students in the nation. Utah's eighth graders scored, on average, scored 282 on the assessment, 10 points higher than the average score for students nationwide. Meanwhile, Utah tops national rankings in high school financial literacy. Every high school student in the state is required to pass a general financial literacy course that covers financial planning, career preparation, money management, savings and investing and other personal finance topics.

California scientists sound alarm on role of pesticides in raising resistance to antifungal drugs
California scientists sound alarm on role of pesticides in raising resistance to antifungal drugs

The Hill

timean hour ago

  • The Hill

California scientists sound alarm on role of pesticides in raising resistance to antifungal drugs

The proliferation of new fungicides in the U.S. agricultural sector may be raising resistance to critical antifungal medications in humans and animals, infectious disease experts are warning. Although antifungal pesticides have become vital to combatting the spread of crop disease, the ongoing development of new such fungicides may be leaving people more vulnerable to severe infections, according to new commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 'Antimicrobial resistant pathogens are a constant reminder for us to use agents judiciously,' lead author George Thompson, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement. 'We have learned that the widespread use of antibiotics for livestock resulted in the rapid development of resistance to antibacterials,' Thompson continued. 'We have similar concerns regarding the use of antifungals in the environment.' In the past few decades, fungi that cause severe infections in humans — such as the difficult-to-treat Candida auris — have undergone a rapid increase, the scientists noted. Yet because there are relatively few antifungals available to eradicate such microbes from the body, Thompson stressed that 'preventing resistance is of paramount importance.' In the U.S. today, the researchers found that there are about 75,000 hospitalizations and 9 million outpatient visits linked to fungal diseases every year, with direct annual costs amount to $6.7 billion to $7.5 billion. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that fungi cause between 10 percent to 20 percent of crop loss, at a cost of $100 billion to $200 billion annually, according to the report. However, scientists have now become increasingly aware that antifungal pesticides and antifungal drugs share some of the same mechanisms. The authors therefore warned that the promulgation of these chemicals 'may select for resistant fungi in the environment, which can then endanger human health.' The development of antifungal medications, meanwhile, is a difficult task due to the metabolic similarities shared by human and fungal cells, as well as the surge in antifungal resistance, the authors explained. Tackling this problem, they contended, requires what's known as a 'One Health' approach — a state that recognizes how human, animal and environmental health are all related. As scientists research future solutions, having representatives from each of these sectors in the room will be increasingly critical, the commentary argued. Shared decision-making among national and global regulators, the researchers added, would both be cost-effective and would help avoid the 'riskier prospects of the rapid spread of resistant pathogens.'

CPAP or Zepbound? Patients, doctors debate sleep apnea treatment
CPAP or Zepbound? Patients, doctors debate sleep apnea treatment

UPI

time2 hours ago

  • UPI

CPAP or Zepbound? Patients, doctors debate sleep apnea treatment

Doctors favor treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machines, researchers are slated to report this week at a meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Adobe stock June 9 (UPI) A clash is brewing between doctors and patients when it comes to treatment for sleep apnea in those with obesity, a new study reports. Doctors favor treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machines, researchers are slated to report this week at a meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The machines keep airways open using mild air pressure provided through a mask patients wear while sleeping. But patients would rather treat their sleep apnea with tirzepatide (Zepbound), a GLP-1 weight-loss drug, researchers found. "The results highlight a need for real-world comparative effectiveness data of CPAP versus tirzepatide, and a potential mismatch between patient and provider preferences when managing comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea," lead researcher Ahmed Khalaf said in a news release. He's a sleep technician in the pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine division at University of California-San Diego. Nearly 30 million adults in the United States have sleep apnea, a disease in which the upper airway collapses during sleep, causing people to wake repeatedly. CPAP has been considered the gold standard for treating sleep apnea, but some patients find the machines too bulky and noisy. About 50% of people prescribed CPAP either can't use it often enough to matter or find it too bothersome, according to Harvard Medical School. Common problems include mask discomfort, dry mouth, breathing that feels out of sync and noise from the machine. Late last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound as the first drug to treat people with obesity and sleep apnea. At the time, the sleep medicine society hailed the approval as "a positive development for patients and clinicians, who now have another treatment option for this sleep disorder," according to a statement from the academy. But Zepbound is only for people with obesity and sleep apnea, the society noted. Also, Zepbound can reduce the severity of sleep apnea through weight loss, but might not cure the problem. For the new study, researchers analyzed nationwide online survey data from 365 patients, and also spoke to 17 sleep medicine professionals at UCSD. Doctors favored CPAP over Zepbound 53% to 26%, while patients favored Zepbound over CPAP 48% to 35%. Both doctors and patients supported treatment that combined CPAP and Zepbound, but doctors were more enthusiastic about combination therapy, 88% versus 61%. The patients' preferences are likely driven by their own experiences -- 78% said they were either current or former users of CPAP, results show. By comparison, only 23% of patients said they'd ever used Zepbound or Ozempic (semaglutide), the other prominent GLP-1 drug. Principal investigator Dr. Chris Schmickl, an assistant professor of medicine at University of California-San Diego, expressed surprise at the level of disagreement between patients and providers. "Recognizing differing attitudes toward treatment is crucial for developing a realistic and achievable action plan," he said in a news release. "Additional research to understand the underlying reasons behind these preferences will offer valuable insights for providers to guide treatment decisions." Researchers are scheduled to present these findings Wednesday at the society meeting in Seattle. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More information Harvard Medical School has more on managing CPAP problems. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store