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Surprising 16-year-long ADHD study proves researchers' hypothesis completely wrong

The findings from first-of-their-kind, long-term ADHD studies keep rolling in and surprising researchers along the way.

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Scientists continue to be surprised by the findings of long-term ADHD studies.

Our understanding of ADHD has come a long way in just a few short years. Though it wasn't even formally recognized as a medical condition until the 1960s, by the time the 90s rolled around, diagnoses and stimulant prescriptions were extremely prevalent. (Raise your hand if you grew up in the era of "Anyone who struggles in school gets Ritalin!") Today, diagnoses and treatment are a lot more thoughtful and individualized, and there are more options for treatment and therapy including but not limited to stimulants like the well-known Ritalin. Even with all these advancements, though, we still have more to learn.

A new long-term study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has proven to be an excellent next step in getting a better understanding of the disorder, showing that a lot of what's commonly believed or assumed about ADHD is incomplete or just flat-out wrong.

Researchers studied 483 participants who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and continued to assess them for a period of 16 years. The study's authors wanted to get a sense of how ADHD symptoms might change over time.

What the researchers found surprised them. In most participants, symptoms of ADHD fluctuated greatly over the years rather than staying consistent. What surprised them even more were the environmental factors that seemed to play a role in those fluctuations.

 adhd, children, kids, mental health, neurodivergent, brains, psychology, medicine, research, medical studies ADHD brains work in mysterious ways, but we're starting to get a clearer picture.  Photo by BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA on Unsplash  

Researchers expected that greater life demands—like more responsibility at work, a heavier workload at school, major life changes, etc.—would exacerbate ADHD symptoms. What they found was the opposite.

It makes sense that a person that struggles with inattention or hyperactivity might have more trouble focusing when they have more "going on" and more distractions to pull them in different directions. It was a huge surprise to the researchers that, actually, people's ADHD symptoms seemed to ease up when life got hectic.

“We expected the relationship between environmental demands and ADHD symptoms to be the opposite of what we found,” study author, professor, and clinical psychologist Margaret H. Sibley explained. “We hypothesized that when life demands and responsibilities increased, this might exacerbate people’s ADHD, making it more severe. In fact, it was the opposite. The higher the demands and responsibilities one was experiencing, the milder their ADHD.”

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I have a 4-year-old with ADHD and the findings totally track for me based on what I've witnessed in our own life.

We find it's actually easier to be in perpetual motion sometimes—out running errands, doing activities, visiting friends and family—versus staying put too long. When we're just relaxing at home, that's when she tends to start bouncing off the walls! Her ADHD tendencies come out strong in these quiet periods, including what we sometimes playfully refer to as her "hoarding" dozens of coloring sheets or surrounding herself in giant piles of toys, blankets, and stuffed animals; thereby making a huge mess in the house.

Doing nothing or doing very little is not often a restful state for people with ADHD. Typically, people with ADHD experience more background noise than neurotypical brains—so a quiet, seemingly restful environment can sometimes amplify racing thoughts, negative self-talk, and impulsive behavior versus dampening it. You know how kids sometimes act out in school not because they're not smart, but because the material is actually too easy for them and they're bored? Something similar is at play in both of these scenarios.

Of course, as always in science, you have to be careful assuming causation from the findings.

 adhd, children, kids, mental health, neurodivergent, brains, psychology, medicine, research, medical studies The results show that staying busy may actually help relieve some ADHD symptoms. Annie Spratt/Unsplash  

It's important to note that the results of the study don't definitively prove that being busy causes a decrease in ADHD symptoms.

“This might mean that people with ADHD perform their best in more demanding environments (perhaps environments that have stronger immediate consequences, like needing to put food on the table for a family or pay rent monthly). It also might mean that people with ADHD take more on their plate when their symptoms are relatively at bay," Sibley says. Either way, the correlation is certainly strong and worthy of more study.

In the meantime, the study's authors think the results could be viewed in a hopeful light for people just learning to manage their ADHD. “If you’re a doctor talking with a patient who is first getting diagnosed with ADHD, it’s a huge help for that person to hear the message that, ‘You’re going to have good years and not-so-good years, but things can go really well for you if you can get the right factors in place,'” Sibley said. As a parent, I can imagine how reassuring that would have been to hear early on in our own process.

 adhd, children, kids, mental health, neurodivergent, brains, psychology, medicine, research, medical studies We still have so much to learn.  Photo by Europeana on Unsplash  

With ADHD diagnoses on the rise, more and more research is being conducted. For example, a recent long-term study out of Sweden was just published linking use of ADHD medication with a reduction in traffic crashes, general injuries, and criminal behavior. That's a strong argument for continuing to hone in on accurate diagnoses and treatment for people who need it, as it clearly benefits society as a whole when done properly!

We're learning more and more about what the factors that affect positive ADHD outcomes are—what might exacerbate symptoms and what types of things can help—and we're starting to get a clearer picture of how people can manage this challenging disorder.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Innovation

New breakthrough detects cancer up to four years before the standard blood test

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

In a typical cancer biopsy, a patient will have a piece of a tumor cut out by a surgeon, which is then reviewed for cancerous cells. For the past five years or so, researchers in labs all over the world are using a new form of testing called liquid biopsy, which is a blood test that detects cancer using non-invasive techniques.

"We demonstrated that five types of cancer can be detected through a DNA methylation-based blood test up to four years before conventional diagnosis," the report mentioned, according to Nature Communications. The hope is that a simple blood draw will allow oncologists to quickly and effectively figure out if a person has cancer in the early stages. It will spare patients the grueling side effects of cancer treatment and potentially save millions of lives. More importantly, it could detect cancer before the patient shows any symptoms.

A study, published in the journal Nature Communications, used a new blood test called PanSeer, which detects stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung and liver cancer. The research found cancer in 88% of the participants who had already been diagnosed, and 95% in people who showed no signs, but were later diagnosed. Although it's unlikely that the test will be able to predict cancer, according to the Guardian, it can spot cancerous growths that haven't been identified by current diagnostic methods.

The research team used blood plasma samples from participants in China between 2007-2014. It claimed 414 samples were from people who had been cancer-free for at least five years after the blood was drawn. Of the 191 samples, the participant had cancer within a four-year period and 223 of the remaining samples were from biobanks of people already diagnosed with cancer.

The test works by finding tiny snippets of cancer DNA that tumor cells release into the patient's blood. According to NBC News, researchers have been working on DNA sequencing applications for years, but this latest study is a potentially transformative innovation that will help diagnose cancer before it reaches the advance stages.

"We're turning the proof of concept stage into a commercial product that is robust, inexpensive and can be deployed in clinics," said Kun Zhang to the NBC News, who is on the department chair of bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego. He co-founded Singlera Genomics, the company that designed PanSeer. However, Zhang claims we are years away from doctors being able to implement the test.

At this point, the test is also unable to decipher which type of cancer the person has and will need additional tests to distinguish those results. The Guardian also mentioned that the study "has limitations, including that it is based on a relatively small number of samples. Storage was not optimal, and the team has raised some concerns about possible contamination."

With all the uncertainty surrounding these medical advances, in these times when we are experiencing historical levels of unrest hope is a powerful ally. The constant push for a cure for cancer is one example of our resolve. It is living proof that the human race has people who will never give up. In fact, we have the potential to be stronger than we have ever been.

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Heroes

The first 'long-term survivor' in a new brain tumor study is giving doctors hope.

Stephanie Hopper wasn't expected to live much longer.

In 2011, she was only 20-years-old when she received a diagnosis of stage 4 glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor affecting an estimated 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. The survival rate is incredibly low and can technically never be "cured."

But Hopper got lucky when she tried an innovative new treatment. She was the first patient in a study that used a modified version of the polio vaccine to attack cancer cells, and Hopper went into remission. Today, she's working as a pediatric oncology nurse and was recently married. She still has occasional seizures, but is receiving medication to help control them.

"I believe wholeheartedly that it was the cure for me," Hooper, now 27, said about the treatment. "Most people wouldn't guess that I had brain cancer."

It's not a miracle cure, but the treatment does hold promise for future treatments.

The study Hopper took part in is making headlines because of the promise it shows for other patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, a condition that has received a lot of attention this year particularly because of the diagnosis given to U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Only 21% of those taking part in the Duke University study have experienced "long term survival." Researchers involved in the study say that's primarily because different people have responded differently to the introduction of the modified polio vaccine.

Those leading the study are quick to caution against unfounded optimism, but are still very excited about its potential, even with the small sounding success rate from the first trial group.

"I've been doing this for 50 years and I've never seen results like this," said  Dr. Darell Bigner.

With the promising early results, they're now hoping to expand the test group to more people.

"The big question is, how can we make sure that everybody responds?” said Dr. Annick Desjardins, who was part of the study team.

The modified poliovirus used in the study, courtesy Duke University.

Stephanie Hopper is a story of hope. It's also one grounded in the promise of science and medical research.

Anyone affected by cancer — directly or through a friend or family member — knows just how important hope is.

Having something to believe in can make all the difference for an individual, but it can also offer inspiration to every young person out there thinking about a career in medicine as a researcher or health care provider. And having people like Hopper to root for makes it a cause even more worth fighting for.

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Family

Joe Biden delivered a powerful speech about 'the only bipartisan thing left in America.'

'I assure you there’s still a lot of really decent people left in the Congress in both parties.'

For nearly an hour on March 12, 2017, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to an audience of innovators at South by Southwest about a topic very close to his heart: cancer.

He was there to discuss the newly formed Biden Foundation's Cancer Initiative, something of an outgrowth of the "Cancer Moonshot" task force Biden led during his final year in office.

Former Vice President Joe Biden outlines his cancer initiative at SXSW. Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP.

On May 30, 2015, Biden's son Beau died from brain cancer. He was just 46 years old.

The former Delaware attorney general, Army veteran, and rising star was diagnosed with the disease less than two years earlier, devastating the Biden family and ultimately leading Joe to forgo a run for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. While Beau's passing may have cooled his father's presidential ambitions, it sparked a laser-focused passion within the patriarch. His charisma, 44 years in public service, and knowledge of Washington bureaucracy made him uniquely qualified to try to help save cancer patients and their families from having to endure heartbreak.

Beau and Joe Biden during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

It seems like there's not a lot Democrats and Republicans can agree on these days. Biden used his SXSW speech to discuss what he called the "only bipartisan thing left in America."

Cancer doesn't care whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, rich or poor, black or white, young or old. It's ruthless, and it's almost certainly touched all our lives in one way or another. It's that type of tenacity that makes fighting cancer something worth setting aside political differences for — and it's been done, even very recently.

On Dec. 13, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law. The bill, which set aside $6.3 billion in funding for things like medical research and drug development, passed the Senate by a vote of 94-5 and the House by 392-26. During his speech, Biden pointed to the bipartisan success of the bill, using it as a sign that, when pressed, we really can come together for the greater good.

"I assure you there’s still a lot of really decent people left in the Congress in both parties," Biden said, noting that Republican Mitch McConnell even moved to name $1.8 billion of the bill's funding after Beau.

Biden speaks at SXSW. Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP.

It's easy to feel cynical, but Biden offers a bit of much-needed hope for a better world.

"I am optimistic. I’m optimistic about the American people," he said. "Given half a chance, they’ve never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever let their country down. And the core of the Republicans in the Congress and Democrats are good, decent, honorable people being almost artificially separated by a new kind of partisanship. I’m confident we can break through it. I’m confident it can be done."

And if he, a man who has seen just how broken Washington can be, still has faith that our elected officials will do the right thing, that's worth something — isn't it?

Biden speaks at SXSW. Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP.

There are things we must be unwilling to postpone. The fight against cancer, a bipartisan effort, is one of them.

Biden ended his speech by invoking President John F. Kennedy:

"He talked about the effort to go to the moon as a commitment the American people had made and that they were 'unwilling to postpone.' … I am unwilling to postpone for one day longer the things we can do now to extend people’s lives — and so should you be.”

Let's be unwilling to postpone that better world.

Beau and Joe Biden hug at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Watch Biden's full SXSW speech below:

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