Most scientists now agree with this simple concept - that the problem occurs in the brain. In 1990, a landmark study was published by Dr. Alan Zametkin. He demonstrated that adults with A.D.D. have low levels of activity in specific areas of the brain. These areas are responsible for controlling attention, movement, and getting back on track when a person is distracted.
Dr. Zametkin's research showed that a person who has A.D.D. has a decrease in the ability of their brain to use glucose (glucose is your brain's main source of energy.) This poor processing of glucose leads to slower and less efficient brain activity. Dr. Zametkin could actually see this decreased brain activity by taking specialized images called P.E.T. scans.
Another expert in the field of treating people with learning disabilities is Dr. Daniel G. Amen. He found the same thing that Dr. Zametkin did - areas of poor metabolic activity. Dr. Amen used a different type of "camera" which produced pictures that are called S.P.E.C.T scans. His pictures use a slightly different technology however both doctors found the same thing - specific areas of poor brain activity that coincide with certain type of learning and behavioral problems. Dr. Amen found that using medications, if he could increase the blood flow to these areas, the A.D.D symptoms went away.
The exact cause of poor brain activity has not been discovered - there can be many factors that vary from individual to individual. This has not stopped doctors from making attempts to treat patients. Some treatments have been more successful than others. The most common treatments are medications that are either stimulants or anti-depressants. These medications have helped many patients. However, not everyone responds to the medications and some patients who are helped develop adverse side effects and have to discontinue taking the medication.
An accidental discovery...or a couple of serendipitous events...
I have been using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help patients who have suffered from strokes, cerebral palsy, and autism. These health problems share one thing in common - poor blood flow in specific areas of the brain. Researchers using hyperbaric oxygen therapy had used the same brain imaging techniques that Dr. Zametkin and Dr. Amen had used. These doctors were all seeing the same brain imaging techniques that Dr. Zametkin and Dr. Amen had used. These doctors were all seeing the same things - poor metabolism and poor blood flow in specific areas of the brain that caused different behavioral and physical problems throughout a person's body. The difference is that in a stroke, cerebral palsy, or autism the poorly functioning areas of the brain were greater than those of people with learning disabilities. So the same thing was happening but the degree of magnitude was different.
The early researchers were able to see improved blood flow after hyperbaric oxygen treatments using P.E.T. and S.P.E.C.T scans. Then I had a thought - if hyperbaric could improve blood flow to patients who had had massive strokes of who had had severe long-standing cases of cerebral palsy could it help people who had similar but less extensive blood flow problems in the brain. here I had been helping people with serious problems and now I was wondering if there weren't many people with milder problems who could be helped with hyperbaric Oxygen therapy.
Just at that time I had completed using hyperbaric oxygen therapy with two children. Both of the children's parents commented on how their child had improved behavior and their schooling had also improved. I wasn't particularly looking for improvement in learning disability problems but it happened as a result of treating these two kids for other problems. Now I had some evidence that it could e possible to help children and adults who had learning disabilities by using hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The exciting aspect to me was that using hyperbaric oxygen therapy is very easy when compared to dietary changes, nutritional supplementation, behavioral therapy and/or medication.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also had the potential to correct the problem whereas the other therapies require lifetime changes that are often difficult for people to maintain. In stroke and cerebral palsy the loss of blood flow to the brain is usually a one-time incident and hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves blood flow and after a specified number of treatments the patient's problems have been corrected and no further treatment is needed. It is much like breaking a bone - you fall, break the bone, the doctor sets the bone in place and puts the bone in a cast to let it heal and after several weeks the bone is healed and no further treatment is necessary. This is what doctors using hyperbaric oxygen therapy see when using it with patients who have had cerebral palsy or a stroke - patients don't need ongoing treatment once the blood flow is improved. So I was very excited at the potential. Hyperbaric treatment permanently increases blood flow to the crucial areas in the brain.
Then I got two volunteer patients - two young boys who had been diagnosed with A.D.D. Both of the boys had been on medication and after one treatment both the children and their parents noticed that they were calmer.
Much more has to be done in this field and there are many unanswered questions at this point however it appears that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be a very promising therapy for both children and adults who have been diagnosed with A.D.D. and other learning disabilities.