One recent study found that the brains of those who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are smaller than the brains of those who do not. These types of findings create controversy in the field of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research. Despite what instinct may tell you, slight variations in brain size do not affect intellectual ability or intelligence one way or the other. Einstein himself had an average-sized brain!

Other ADD/ADHD research has focused on the differences in brain function of those who have ADD/ADHD and those who do not. These studies have isolated the areas of the brain where the differences occur, and using this information, scientists have been able to observe how the typical brain responds to commonly prescribed Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications as opposed to how the ADD/ADHD affected mind responds to the same drugs.

Controversy has also surrounded Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research because, up until recently, it seemed the only effective way to monitor brain activity was via injection or inhalation of radioactive substances. Recent ADD/ADHD research has found that use of functional magnetic resonance imaging [FMRI] in the study of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can show brain differences in individual people, instead of in averages of differences of two groups. This is critical for diagnosis, which has to be established on an individual basis. Instead of using controversial radioactive substances, it relies on naturally occurring changes in brain function, which makes it appropriate for research and clinical purposes for children.

Critical to all ADD/ADHD research involving brain monitoring is establishing a baseline for understanding how the typical brain works in terms of attentional control and attentional functioning. Individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder seem to have impaired attentional abilities. Before that area can be explored, ADD/ADHD research has needed to determine which parts of the brain and which chemicals are involved in the attention process.

One brain chemical that is mentioned repeatedly in Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research is dopamine. Studies have found that those with ADD/ADHD actually have impaired production of the brain chemical responsible for transmitting signals in the brain. Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research has found that insufficient levels of dopamine cause individuals with ADD/ADHD to literally have the inability to control their impulses. Similar Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research has found that adults with ADD/ADHD often suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome, another condition thought to be created by dopamine deficiency.

Other Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder research is currently investigating nutritional links to the disorder. Widespread studies of supplements and omega-3 fatty acids are being conducted to determine whether nutritional deficiencies are the cause or exacerbate symptoms of ADD/ADHD, as has long been contended by the natural health community.