Power Moms Unite

In a November 2007 press release from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM), brain image studies confirmed that the brains of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), on average, followed a normal pattern of development but was delayed by 3 years in some regions of the brain when compare to their peers without the disorder. The delay occurred primarily in the front of the brain’s outer cortex, critical to the control of thinking, attention, and planning. It is important to note however, according to Dr. Jay Giedd, MD, a researcher on the project and a keynote speaker at the 2008 Children and Adults with ADD (CHADD) Conference, researchers were surprised to discover that the brain maturation process continued until 25 years of age in the average young adult; thus, youths with ADHD, on average could have brains still maturing until 28 years.