ADHD's effects on breathing, perception and behavior
· Medical Xpressedited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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New attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research shows the condition influences mental and physical health across the life span. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2026, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Approximately one in nine children in the U.S. has received a diagnosis of ADHD, making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood.
An ADHD diagnosis is not only predictive of poorer outcomes in educational achievement and socialization in childhood, but is also associated with increased risk for substance use and abuse in adolescence and worse mental and physical health in adulthood.
Researchers are discovering how the disorder affects a range of behaviors, such as breathing, time perception and substance use, and identifying neural signatures that may give rise to them.
New findings show that:
- Young adults with ADHD show a unique breathing pattern that differentiates them from people without ADHD and changes with the use of stimulant medication (Timna Soroka, Weizmann Institute of Science)
- Individuals with ADHD experience chronic time pressure, or a persistent sense of running behind (Kelly Carrasco, California State University, Fresno)
- Brain scans of children and adolescents with ADHD show lower brain iron levels compared to controls and identify specific brain regions affected over time (Jonathan Ahern, University of California, San Diego)
- ADHD medication could help reduce problem drinking in young adults with both ADHD and alcohol use disorder (Amanda Elton, University of Florida)
"It is becoming clear that ADHD is a broader systemic condition affecting a host of brain and body variables beyond just motor hyperactivity," says event moderator Chandan Vaidya, Ph.D., a cognitive neuroscientist at Georgetown University who studies how regulatory behavior goes awry in disorders such as ADHD.
"Together, these new findings tackle timely topics and showcase the diversity of areas where work is needed to better understand ADHD and ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment."
Key medical concepts
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderAbuse, Alcohol
Clinical categories
Psychology & Mental healthPsychiatryNeurologyChildren's health Provided by Society for Neuroscience Who's behind this story?
Sadie Harley
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