I keep seeing the term Neurobiology used in many books and articles I read about ADD. Kathleen Nadeau uses the term extensively in her writings, calling ADD/ADHD a neurobiological disorder.

This is a discussion thread for anyone interested in musing, exploring, or learning more about Neurobiology. This starter post contains links to basic information about the field and articles about research and much more.

General info on the field of Neurobiology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiology

The University of Chicago Neurobiology Department
http://neurobiology.bsd.uchicago.edu/
descriptions of its core courses-wil help us understand what Neurobiology is and give us terms and ideas to google, discuss, and cogitate. http://neurobiology.bsd.uchicago.edu/courses.html
This is what the faculty is researching- http://neurobiology.bsd.uchicago.edu/faculty.htm

Links to FREE physician reviewed articles on Neurobiology from many different sources such as MedScape and medical journals.
http://www.healthline.com/search?q1=neurobiology&utm_source=adapt&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=adapt_expand&utm_term=neurobiology (http://www.healthline.com/search?q1=neurobiology&utm_source=adapt&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=adapt_expand&utm_term=neurobiology)

Becky

Are you ready for some Neurobiological Stimulation, JackJack?

Let me see what I can do in the ten minutes I have before I have to begin to power down and go to work ba-hum-bug

This site (http://www.msu.edu/unit/vprgs/intgrants/kaufman.htm)

***Source Quote:
Within these domains, the range of biomedical conditions under study includes conditions of simple Mendelian origin such as Huntington disease, neurological consequences of each specific infection such as ataxia and other complications of cerebral malaria, as well as complex disturbances of multifactorial origin such as drug dependence, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the attention deficit syndromes. Because complex phenotypes are involved, as well as multifactorial etiologies, many of the NIH institutes have active research portfolios that intersect with the domains of neurobiology, cognition, and behavior.***End Source Quote

The obvious question is what is it when studying neuro-biological differences does every thing have to be seen as "dis-function" when the fact is blanently obvious that normal hasn't even be globally defined by said experts.

Would not normal or abnormal be more of an environmental combined with biological characteristics functioning together be more of the question than that of simply biology and neurological differences.

It is quiet normal in a strange or even dangerous atmosphere to be hyper-alert but it is considered abnormal when one is sitting in a class room. In other wards proper functioning in the middle of a bombing should be much different than that of some one plowing a field?

Exactly what is normal any way some one who can file their taxes on time, how different is our biology in zee ole brain any way and would not it be beneficial to look for ways to use differences in the diverse types than to simply categorize?

Not too sure that is what was wanted however that is the best I can do in ten minutes with editing time! Okay I am off to work Hi-Ho Hi-Ho!

I know alot of you guys must have watched the documentary about brain acitivity in ADHD people. There was a MRI with colors for elevations of brain acitivity. The ADHD people had blues and purples in the brain when normal people had oranges reds and yellows. This concluded that the introduction of stimulants increased the function to a level equal to others.

X-Man

Give us the link to the station, X-man it sounds very interesting.RADD

This much work would cost you a kiss normally, but http://www.newideas.net/neurology.htm

X-Man

This concluded that the introduction of stimulants increased the function to a level equal to others.

In other wards our brains could remain stimulated (by the medications) even in the midst of the boring, un-interesting, mundane task that are as exciting as watching grass grow, laundry dry, or registering our car at the DMV! (but are none the less expected)

My point of experience being the ability to hyper-focus where as we are overly attuned however this normally happens only when some thing peaks our interest thus our brain my stimulate it self for some even overly so as disengagement from an interesting activity can be as difficult as attending to a boring one. As Edward Hallowell has said it ADD is an attentional inconsistancy not necessarily a defiency. Rately in his book "Shadow Symdromes" decribes ADD is the inability to pay attention on command, on command being the critical phrase.

Prior Source Quote***It has been said that 70% of the brain is there to inhibit the other 30% of the brain.
End Source Quote***

This makes little sense to me personally, I am thinking in light of evolution and primates, other mammals ect...... besides our prefrontal cortex only accounts for some thing like 29% of the brain in human's, (17% in the chimpanzee, 7% in the dog, 3.5% in the cat) ***numerical data from "The Executive Brain" by Elkhonon Goldberg page 33

Such as in I a got a whole blooin book on Executive Functioning as I may learn slow but learn well!
Pg 25-26

***Source QuoteOf all the mental processes goal formation is the most actor centered activity. Goal formation is about "I need" and not "it is". So the emergence of the ability to formulate goals must have been inexorably linked to the emergence of the mental representation of "self". It should come as no surprise that the emergence of self consciousness is also intricately linked to the evolution of the frontal lobes.

All these functions can be thought of as metacognitive rather than cognitive, sense they do not refer to any particular mental skill but provide an overarching organization for all of them. For this reason some authors refer to the functions of the frontal lobes as the executive functions, by analogy with the corporate CEO. I find the analogy with the orchestra conductor even more revealing.***End Source Quote

***Prior source Quote A normally functioning limbic system would provide for normal emotional changes, normal levels of energy, normal sleep routines, and normal levels of coping with stress. A dysfunctional limbic system results in problems with those areas. ***End Source Quote

Although this does show the pictures requested by RADDmom the descriptions are not really very specific .Besides they are selling some thing besides information, some sort of supplement (a me thing I guess)

Users Guide to the Brain by John Ratey M.D.

Page 121

***Source QuoteThe amygdale provides a preconscious bias of intensity to every stimuli you come in contact with, even before you are actually pay attention to it. It can and does operate outside consciousness. People without an amygdale owning to infection surgery stroke have what we call Kkuver-Bucy syndrome, a bizarre set of symptoms with a tendency to react to all stimuli in the environment without discrimination or learning. They also have a marked indifference to people and loose their emotional attachment to family members.***End Source Quote


Okay now so this amygdale in the limbic system is only one attentional system, although this may be effected by ADD it is not necessarily "the broken part" Just as the master cylinder is only one part of the breaking system the amygdale is only one portion of the attentional system. If the master cylinder goes out you will have no breaks this is correct like if the amygdale goes out one will feel no emotional attachment. However the master cylinder can be working fine yet one can still have dysfunction breaks. Brakes are a system as is attention.

To me it is clear the difference in attention experienced by ADDers has a system wide effect, much like break fluid. One can have proper functioning brake system however if one has no break fluid nothing in the breaking system will not work properly (if at all). Neurotransmitter would be a closer and more accurate fit into a system wide effect with ADD in that the lack thereof would tend to effect the over all attention span.

This of coa rse from the perspective of "main stream" medicine.

The kissing thing well that I shall leave to you two, although the information and the time required to obtain it is very much appreciated.