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American Morning

Paying Attention to ADHD

Aired September 26, 2002 - 10:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to health news and a condition that is getting more attention, ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a focus on Capitol Hill as you look at a live picture right now. They're looking at that right this hour. An estimated three to five percent of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and lawmakers are looking into whether some of those youngsters are being overmedicated.
Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now to talk more about ADHD.

Sanjay, good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: First of all, what is it, and is it more than just a behavior problem?

GUPTA: It is confusing thing. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactive disorder. It's a term that's actually been around for quite some time. The term has actually undergone a few variations. ADHD now has three different subtypes to it. One is a predominantly inattentive subtype. One is a predominantly hyperactive subtype, and the most common type is actually a combination of both.

The reason it's confusing, Daryn, let's just take a look at some of the symptoms associated with each of these. If you look at the inattentive difficulty following instructions, easily distracted, not paying attention to details, losing things needed for activity. Sounds like a lot of people you know, probably. Daryn, also the hyperactivity symptoms, look at those as well -- fidgety, talks too much, trouble waiting their turn, unable to sit still, unable to play quietly. Obviously we are talking about children here, school-aged children, for the most part, that actually finding the diagnosis using these symptoms can be very difficult.

To add a little bit more to that, these symptoms have to be present for over six months, usually diagnosed before the age of 7. But even with those criteria, Daryn, you can see a little bit of the confusion in actually making the diagnosis.

KAGAN: And so what does the medication do, and why the debate on whether too many kids are taking the medication.

GUPTA: An important point. People think about ADHD as basically a collection of symptoms. What some neurobiologists have found. It also has real fund mental basis in the brains. Let's take a look at this animation, what the prevailing theory is, that people with ADHD actually have a lack of dopamine, effective dopamine. Once it gets to the neurotransmitter, it sort of disperses. It's not very effective dopamine, and now, if you add Ritalin or a medication like that, it actually keeps the dopamine around longer, and therefore, the kids actually have a better ability to pay attention to things. All those sorts of criteria are reversed.

And to some extent, at least 70 to 80 percent of the time in some children with this medication. I'll also say, Daryn, that you know, you may have heard that sometimes this medication actually causes a paradoxical increase in hyperactivity, versus a decrease in who have ADHD, and that's because kids who don't have this problem with dopamine, if you give them the medication, you are going to probably create too much dopamine there, and that's why they get even more hyperactive.

KAGAN: And why it's such a difficult call for so many parents to make. You are going to stick around, right, and come back in the next hour?

GUPTA: Absolutely. It's a really important point, no question on Capitol Hill. They say 500 percent increase in medications over the last 12 years. And, Daryn, you and I were talking about this. There is about two million kids that carry the diagnosis of ADHD.

KAGAN: Sanjay, sorry, I have to interrupt. We are going to see you in the next hour.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 26, 2002 - 10:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to health news and a condition that is getting more attention, ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a focus on Capitol Hill as you look at a live picture right now. They're looking at that right this hour. An estimated three to five percent of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and lawmakers are looking into whether some of those youngsters are being overmedicated.
Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now to talk more about ADHD.

Sanjay, good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: First of all, what is it, and is it more than just a behavior problem?

GUPTA: It is confusing thing. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactive disorder. It's a term that's actually been around for quite some time. The term has actually undergone a few variations. ADHD now has three different subtypes to it. One is a predominantly inattentive subtype. One is a predominantly hyperactive subtype, and the most common type is actually a combination of both.

The reason it's confusing, Daryn, let's just take a look at some of the symptoms associated with each of these. If you look at the inattentive difficulty following instructions, easily distracted, not paying attention to details, losing things needed for activity. Sounds like a lot of people you know, probably. Daryn, also the hyperactivity symptoms, look at those as well -- fidgety, talks too much, trouble waiting their turn, unable to sit still, unable to play quietly. Obviously we are talking about children here, school-aged children, for the most part, that actually finding the diagnosis using these symptoms can be very difficult.

To add a little bit more to that, these symptoms have to be present for over six months, usually diagnosed before the age of 7. But even with those criteria, Daryn, you can see a little bit of the confusion in actually making the diagnosis.

KAGAN: And so what does the medication do, and why the debate on whether too many kids are taking the medication.

GUPTA: An important point. People think about ADHD as basically a collection of symptoms. What some neurobiologists have found. It also has real fund mental basis in the brains. Let's take a look at this animation, what the prevailing theory is, that people with ADHD actually have a lack of dopamine, effective dopamine. Once it gets to the neurotransmitter, it sort of disperses. It's not very effective dopamine, and now, if you add Ritalin or a medication like that, it actually keeps the dopamine around longer, and therefore, the kids actually have a better ability to pay attention to things. All those sorts of criteria are reversed.

And to some extent, at least 70 to 80 percent of the time in some children with this medication. I'll also say, Daryn, that you know, you may have heard that sometimes this medication actually causes a paradoxical increase in hyperactivity, versus a decrease in who have ADHD, and that's because kids who don't have this problem with dopamine, if you give them the medication, you are going to probably create too much dopamine there, and that's why they get even more hyperactive.

KAGAN: And why it's such a difficult call for so many parents to make. You are going to stick around, right, and come back in the next hour?

GUPTA: Absolutely. It's a really important point, no question on Capitol Hill. They say 500 percent increase in medications over the last 12 years. And, Daryn, you and I were talking about this. There is about two million kids that carry the diagnosis of ADHD.

KAGAN: Sanjay, sorry, I have to interrupt. We are going to see you in the next hour.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com