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ADHD Symptoms in Children and Adolescents
Symptoms of Inattentiveness
Symptoms of Hyperactivity-Impulsivity
Conditions That Can Mimic Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (But Are Not ADHD)
Our Concept
Recent research by various neuroscience organizations has laid the foundation for understanding the biological bases of many behaviors. Our methods, grounded in such research, provide critical data concerning the brain-behavior relationship. Knowing as much as possible about how the brain’s neurophysiology relates to behavior allows for more efficient and effective interventions and treatments of problem behaviors. When the biological basis is not accurately understood, it is difficult for a PSYCHIATRIST to render an appropriate treatment and intervention. After more than 20 years of research and clinical development, our solutions are solidly supported by research results.
According to studies conducted by the Center for Mental Health Services, at least 33 1/3% of children or adolescents may have a diagnosable behavioral, emotional, or mental health problem. The same studies estimate that there may be 3 million children who have a serious emotional disturbance that severely disrupts his or her ability to function in the home, school, or community. These children can become successful in their daily lives, and when this occurs, whole families become healthier and more functional. Our methods offer the gift of hope to those children and their families.
What we do is different from the evaluations performed with MRI, PET and SPECT scans because these are all considered invasive procedures. Our non-invasive procedures can provide information to help a clinician become more successful, especially with the most severely disturbed patients and be more accurate and effective with the treatment regimens developed for his patients. This method can provide information about a variety of behavioral problems seen in psychiatric practices.
Providing neurophysiological information is especially helpful with patients who are difficult and challenging and who, may have failed, often more than once, with traditional psychiatric treatment methods in the past. Our information allows more accurate assessments and a quicker understanding of behavioral manifestations which helps the patient get better, faster. This decreases the number of family disruptions as well as the number and length of hospitalizations. This allows the clinician to better serve many patients who are normally unsuccessful in traditional psychiatric treatments. This decreases family disruptions and the number and length of hospitalizations.
Our Procedure
South Florida Psychiatric Associates, Inc. uses a non-invasive neurodiagnostic EEG system. It is a computer based system designed to monitor and analyze the electrical activity of the brain. The standard 10/20 electrode placement with one channel of EEG monitoring is utilized then interpolated to generate color topographic images of the millisecond-to-millisecond variations in the scalp distribution of spontaneous EEGs, as well as averaged responses to both visual and auditory stimuli.
In the last decade, EEG and EP imaging techniques have been developed and refined at a remarkable pace, primarily due to the tremendous advances in computer technology. The research literature shows that the potential clinical applications of brain electrical activity images are almost limitless; the technique has been used in the diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of disorders, from alcoholism to dyslexia, from multiple sclerosis to depression and from ADHD to behavioral disorders. In short, computerized EEGs and EPs have become an important tool in the differential diagnosis of a wide range of disorders.
The interpretation of the results from the various studies is based upon standard wave forms produced as the brain receives and processes the stimuli. The wave forms are evaluated for latency (in milliseconds), proper coherence and formation, symmetry, and amplitude (in micro-volts).
A diagnosis, medication intervention and individualized treatment regimen are determined by studying and analyzing a combination of the electrophysiological information and the presenting behavioral symptoms.
The Final Results
Much of the final results will depend upon how well the patient follows our treatment plan, the quality of the other medical providers with whom the patient interacts and the willingness of patients and their families to take responsibility for changing the things they can and learning to live with the things that cannot be changed.
The best outcome for success is accepting our recommendations based upon a solid understanding of the underlying physiological causes of behavioral and learning problems. Because the methods discussed above provide us with a clear understanding of those underlying physiological factors, we have enjoyed significant good success with our treatments.
Our Commitment to You
If you and your family are willing to make a dedicated effort to work hard to resolve the behavioral/learning problem(s) that brought you to us, we are willing to make a commitment to you and your family to use the latest technological means to determine the underlying cause(s) of those problems so that an effective treatment method can be developed.