Functional MRI
A Break Through in the Diagnosis of ADD and ADHD
Introduction
Recent
breakthroughs in MRI technology provide new possibilities for the
diagnosis of ADD and ADHD. Until now these diseases have been
diagnosed, almost exclusively, through differential psychological
diagnosis with the aid of screening tests. These screenings
include questionnaires which are completed by the patient, a
psychologist, family members, co-workers, teachers, and through
interviews with each or any of these constituents conducted by the
psychologist. This type of diagnostic technique while well
documented and widely accepted in the psychological community lacks a
degree of technical specificity and can lead to skepticism on the part
of the public. Thus whenever possible, it is preferable to have a
more definitive test for the diagnosis of any disease.
In recent years, attention
deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) are two diseases which have come under increasing scrutiny as
the prevalence of their diagnosis has increased significantly.
Some would argue that the vagueness of the symptoms coupled with the
accommodations to be gained from a diagnosis have led to a significant
amount of fraud. These concerns have been of particular
significance to schools which are obligated under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) to offer accommodations to students with ADD and
ADHD. These accommodations might include extra time on tests,
access to
a computer, modified versions of tests, etc. As a result, much
research has been undertaken to find a more definitive diagnostic
technique for ADD and ADHD. Functional MRI provides one such
technique. These pages lead the reader from the basics of MRI
through the cutting edge research on the use of functional MRI as a
method of diagnosing ADD and ADHD.