|
 If you've got a tot of your own and he's not exactly behaving all that nicely in school or at home, don't be too quick to put the blame on yourself. It turns out that there's a biological reason for boys to behave that way, which makes them more susceptible to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT).
This bit of news comes from a recent study by University of Queensland's neuroscientist Dr. Ross Cunnington and his team of experts. Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a test involving a group of boys aged eight to twelve, Dr. Cunnington's team mapped out the brain activity of each of the participants during a mental rotation task.
They focused primarily on the parietal lobe, a section of the brain that flares up with activity when something distracts the individual from a set task.
The result? Boys are indeed more susceptible to contracting ADHD, via a biological difference. Dr. Cunnington's findings, verbatim:
ADHD can be a problem for young boys because it means they don't do well at school, and there are often serious social consequences as well.
Severe ADHD could at times lead to a young person becoming alienated from their friends and classmates – which can lead to low self-esteem and further disruptive behaviour.
Overall, there is strengthening evidence that ADHD has a biological cause. It's not all bad parenting.
And parents who think their little tots could in fact be displaying signs of ADHD should be glad to know that there are already many therapeutic treatments available. Of course, the fact that genes could play a part in ADHD doesn't give parents the excuse not to spend quality time with their kids.
|
|
