Researchers find differences in brain imaging in people with BPD and ADHD

A study at the University of Illinois reveals that brain imaging may help identify differences in childhood bipolar disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Researchers found that while both disorders result in dysfunction in the prefrontal cotrex, individuals who have ADHD were shown to have severe effects. This part of the brain controls behavior, such as impulsivity and complex cognitive processes like attention and language.

The study found that those who suffer from bipolar disorder had deficiencies in the regions of the brain that control emotion processing and regulation, while memory was most affected in people with ADHD.

Experts say that they can now start to differentiate between the disorders at a brain network level. Previously, researchers could only distinguish the two conditions through behavior. Therapeutic boarding schools can help those who suffer from these conditions by giving them individualized treatment and education that traditional schools cannot provide.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), between 2 and 3 percent of children have ADHD. Furthermore, approximately 5.7 million people suffer from bipolar diorder, NIMH indicates.