The latest research on how the ADHD brain changes over time. Plus the differences among normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, early dementia, and some classic attention deficit symptoms, and why it is never too late to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD.
on my 72nd birthday,” he said. “I knew within 20 minutes that I was on a path to discovering the real me.”Zophia and John are among a growing number of older adults who are being diagnosed with ADHD at 40, 50, 60, and beyond. Clinicians report a steady increase in requests for ADHD testing by bewildered yet determined adults who grew up in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, when ADHD was rarely recognized in children, let alone adults.
It is challenging to evaluate older adults for ADHD because the normal aging process mimics some classic Working memory glitches plague virtually all adults with ADHD, as do attention issues. A 2014 study showed that drivers with ADHD were 50 percent more likely to be involved in a serious car crash, although the researchers excluded adults over the age of 46. Executive function — planning, organization, follow-through, and time awareness — is a continuing challenge for children and adults with ADHD.
Complicating a later-life diagnosis for women is the influence of a powerful female hormone, estradiol, one of three estrogens active in women’s bodies. Estrogen/estradiol acts as the strong supporting cast in the brain to sensitize neural receptors to make better connections between key neurotransmitters: norepinephrine and dopamine. Norepinephrine and dopamine help maintain alertness, focus, and motivation.said Patricia Quinn, M.D.
Hormone issues for ADHD men are less dramatic; estrogen levels, while lower than in women, remain constant for men until age 70. Testosterone, however, decreases gradually, leading to more intense mood swings, sleep disturbances, and cognitive decline. “Twice as many men as women come in to our clinic seeking a possible diagnosis of ADHD,” said Rostain.Stimulant medications are still the ADHD treatment of choice for older adults.
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