Any time. I'm a news hound and need new data on a daily basis. My 'obsession'. :)
> these results fit within current models of intentionality and the > frontal attentional control system. > > thanks for the reference Mike. > > larry > > > On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 17:01:28 -0500, Michael Dinowitz > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > First biological test for ADHD unveiled > > http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6886 > > > > The first biological test for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder > has > > been developed. The researchers claim the diagnosis, based on > examination of > > eye movements, is more than 93% accurate and could lead to earlier > > identification and treatment for children with the condition. > > > > Scientists analysed the eye movements of 65 children aged between four > and > > six in Thessaloniki, Greece. About half of the children had been > diagnosed > > as having ADHD through the standard method of psychological assessment > and > > the use of questionnaires. > > > > The children were placed in front of a computer screen while wearing > special > > goggles to monitor their eye movements and asked to use their eyes to > > "lock-on to" and follow spots of light that traversed the screen during > a > > 10-minute test. > > > > "Children with ADHD show large difference in eye movements compared with > > normal children. For example, those without ADHD could follow the light > spot > > for 30 seconds to as much as five minutes, whereas the children with the > > disorder could only follow the stimulus for about three to five > seconds," > > says Giorgos Pavlidis at University of Brunel, UK, who led the study. > > > > The group analysed eye movements according to various criteria, these > > included fixation on the stimulus, saccades - jerking between two focal > > points - and smooth pursuit. The computer was able to correctly diagnose > > 93.1% of the children. > > Early intervention > > > > "Children as young as three years old could benefit from the test. It > could > > reliably identify those children who have ADHD early on so that > effective > > intervention could be given to reduce loss of confidence and other > > behavioural and psychological problems," Pavlidis told New Scientist. > > > > Caroline Hensby, of the UK's ADHD support group, Adders, welcomed the > > research, saying the test could be a valuable addition to current > testing > > procedures. "It would give sufferers a lot more confidence in their > > diagnosis knowing that they had actually taken a biological test, as > opposed > > to just talking to someone - it would make the diagnosis more > legitimate," > > she says. > > > > "Also, it's very difficult for someone with ADHD to sit down and > concentrate > > for two hours - the length of current test period - so this short, > > ten-minute test would be far better." > > Responding to Ritalin > > > > And Pavlidis hopes the test could be used for prognosis in the future: > "Some > > patients with ADHD respond well to drugs such as Ritalin, and these > patients > > show differences in eye movements from other ADHD sufferers both before > and > > after taking the drug - in fact, after taking Ritalin, the patients who > > respond well to it show normal eye movements. I hope to be able to > construct > > a computer test that can classify those ADHD patients who will respond > to > > drugs." > > > > Pavlidis estimates that between 3% and 7% of the population has ADHD, > but > > believes 80% of cases remain undiagnosed. > > > > It is not known how eye neurology is affected in ADHD, but Pavlidis > points > > out that a symptom of the disorder is premature action - acting before > > thinking - and eye movements in those with the disorder are also > premature. > > "The children's eyes jerk across before the light stimulus has moved," > he > > explains. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:142921 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
