| In our last article about the neurology of ADHD | | | | inhibitory mechanisms of the brain. However, it is |
| we began to introduce the reader to the system | | | | not just activation levels of the Reticular |
| in the brain known as the Reticular Activating | | | | Activating System that are a problem with |
| System. The Reticular Activating System is the | | | | Attention Deficit Disordered individuals. It seems |
| "attention center" in the brain. It is the key to | | | | that the same problems that cause the Reticular |
| "turning on your brain," and seems to be the | | | | Activating System to be under or over aroused |
| center of motivation. The Reticular Activating | | | | also restricts the development of neural |
| System is connected at its base to the spinal | | | | connections and the required neural density |
| cord where it receives information projected | | | | needed to process incoming information. In other |
| directly from the ascending sensory tracts. The | | | | words, these are issues with the number of brain |
| brainstem reticular formation runs all the way up | | | | cells, the size of the brain cells, and the number of |
| to the mid-brain. As a result, the Reticular | | | | connections between brain cells. It is not |
| Activating System is a very complex collection of | | | | uncommon for one brain cell to have as many as |
| neurons that serve as a point of convergence for | | | | 5,000 connections with other brain cells. Picture |
| signals from the external world and from interior | | | | the incoming information to be processed and |
| environment. In other words, it is the part of | | | | learned as the volume of water coming out of |
| your brain where the world outside of you, and | | | | your shower head. And picture the brain's ability |
| your thoughts and feelings from "inside" of you, | | | | to process this information as the drain and the |
| meet. This Reticular Activating System is very | | | | drain pipe in the shower floor. If the pipe is |
| capable of generating dynamic effects on the | | | | clogged up, your shower will have problems |
| activity of the cortex, including the frontal lobes, | | | | draining. If the contractor originally installed a drain |
| and the motor activity centers of the brain. It | | | | pipe that is too small, again your shower will have |
| plays a significant role in determining whether a | | | | problems draining. In either case, you will either |
| person can learn and remember things well or not, | | | | have to reduce the amount of water coming out |
| on whether or not a person is impulsive or | | | | of the shower head, or you will have to let the |
| self-controlled, on whether or not a person has | | | | shower back up and wait a while for the water to |
| high or low motor activity levels, and on whether | | | | finally drain out. Here's the connection... If the brain |
| or not a person is highly motivated or bored | | | | does not have enough neural connections, or lacks |
| easily. The Reticular Activating System is the | | | | the neural density, to process the incoming |
| center of balance for the other systems involved | | | | information, then it will be like a pipe that is too |
| in learning, self-control or inhibition, and motivation. | | | | small to handle a large volume of water. It will |
| When functioning normally, it provides the neural | | | | take in some, but the rest will be stopped and |
| connections that are needed for the processing | | | | won't go down the pipe rapidly. Learning will take |
| and learning of information, and the ability to pay | | | | place, but the time that it takes to process the |
| attention to the correct task. But if the Reticular | | | | information will be slowed significantly. The impact |
| Activating System doesn't excite the neurons of | | | | of this with an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity |
| the cortex as much as it ought to, then we see | | | | Disorder child is best seen when the child is given |
| the results of an under-aroused cortex, such as | | | | a timed test, even with material that the child |
| difficulty learning, poor memory, little self-control, | | | | understands pretty well. The "timed" aspect of |
| and so on. In fact, if the Reticular Activating | | | | the test requires that the child have a "larger |
| System failed to activate the cortex at all one | | | | drain pipe," as it were, to quickly process the |
| would see a lack of consciousness or even coma. | | | | problems on the test and recall the answer. |
| What would happen if the Reticular Activating | | | | However, with Attention Deficit Disorder - ADHD |
| System was too excited, and aroused the cortex | | | | - the "pipe" is often too small, and the results of |
| or other systems of the brain too much? Then | | | | the timed test will probably be very poor. |
| we would see individuals with excessive startle | | | | However, take away the timed element on the |
| responses, hyper-vigilance, touching everything, | | | | same test, and "allow the water to drain a the |
| talking too much, restless, and hyperactive. So | | | | slower rate," and the child will often do well on the |
| the Reticular Activating System must be | | | | test. So the ADHD child, or adult, needs to |
| activated to normal levels for the rest of the | | | | develop a greater degree of neural density, and a |
| brain to function as it should. | | | | larger number of neural connections to process |
| What factors could cause the Reticular Activating | | | | information faster and more efficiently. Now, |
| System to be either over-activated or | | | | please do not think that this information to be |
| under-activated? According to Harvard Medical | | | | processed is only what takes place in the |
| School, current research strongly suggests that | | | | classroom. The information to be processed |
| Attention Deficit Disorder is caused in part by a | | | | includes information from the outside world, |
| deficiency of Norepinephrine in the ascending | | | | including the touch of the clothes on his skin, the |
| reticular activating system, and it is thought that | | | | buzz of the lights overhead, the sound of the kids |
| the stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, increase | | | | playing outside, and the new information that the |
| the levels of Norepinephrine in that part of the | | | | teacher is lecturing on at the front of the |
| brain, as well as probably increasing dopamine | | | | classroom. It also includes the information from |
| levels in the frontal lobes. This treatment strategy | | | | inside the head, the thoughts and feelings of the |
| works well for the inattentive under-aroused ADD | | | | ADHD person. All of that must be sorted out and |
| kids, and somewhat well for the over-aroused | | | | filtered, so that only the important information is |
| impulsive-hyperactive ADHD kids. However, for | | | | paid attention to, and the unimportant information |
| the kids who have an over-aroused Reticular | | | | is ignored. Without proper filtering by the Reticular |
| Activating System to begin with, the use of | | | | Activating System, the individual will be distracted |
| stimulants will often exacerbate the problems with | | | | by "noise," both from outside of him as well as |
| temper, sleep, and hyper-vigilance or anxiety. For | | | | from inside of him. You can learn more about the |
| these individuals their physicians will often | | | | neurlogy of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity |
| prescribe a Norepinepherine antagonist such as | | | | Disorder by reading through the ADHD |
| Clonadine, or an antidepressant such as Prozac, | | | | Information Library. |
| which works to enhance the Serotonin driven | | | | |