BRAIN SCAN MAY BE CLUE TO ATTENTION DISORDER

WASHINGTON -- Researchers say a new test using a special brain scan can
identify children who have attention deficit disorder, the behavior
syndrome that causes millions of kids to be placed on powerful drugs.

Just as important, the finding of a biological "signature" in the brains of
those with attention deficit disorder could help determine that a child
does not have the disorder, according to the Stanford University researchers.

Their announcement, to be published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, comes just days after a

government panel concluded that doctors have no consistent physical way to
identify the disorder or diagnose who has it.

The scan technique needs further testing and could prove expensive.
Insurance companies generally do not pay for the special type of brain
scan, a functional MRI, that is required. A regular MRI can cost more than
$1,500, and a functional MRI, available at just a few hospitals, can cost
even more.

Nevertheless, "we've taken a first step that looks very promising," said
study co-author Dr. John Gabrieli of Stanford's Department of Psychology.

Attention deficit disorder, or ADD, also known as attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, usually is diagnosed in school-age children.

The diagnosis is usually based on observed behavior, and some experts
believe it is highly subjective, essentially just an educated judgment.

Symptoms of ADD include the restless inability to sit still to read, study
or even watch television. A child often cannot play in group games, and a
common symptom is the inability to control impulses.

Some mild forms of symptoms are common in many children, leading to
concerns it is diagnosed too often.

"Many people are concerned because the diagnosis remains very subjective,"
Gabrieli said. "It is possible to misdiagnose a child and miss another
condition or to overdiagnose a child who is merely rambunctious."

A biological signature of ADD would allow for "a valid and consistent
diagnosis," he said.

Mind-affecting drugs such as Ritalin are the most common treatment, but
some doctors and parents worry about their long-term effects, which have
never been studied.

The Stanford study used the functional MRI to scan the brains of 16 boys
between the ages of 8 and 13 while they were playing a simple mental game.
The MRI detects which part of the brain responds to specific actions or to
drugs.

The study is still preliminary and must be proven by testing boys and girls
and by being duplicated independently in other labs, said Dr. Chandan J.
Vaidya, the main researcher.

Checked-by: derek rea