Meditation, Attention, and the Brain

By: Zara Hekimian FHS 2570

The Facts

Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased an average of 3% per year from 1997 to 2006 and an average of approximately 5% per year from 2003 to 2011 (CDC).

Boys are three out of four times more likely than girls to have ADHD/ADD

About two-thirds of kids who are currently diagnosed take prescription drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin.

Nearly 1 million children(20%) in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with ADHD simply because they are the youngest – and most immature – in their kindergarten class (MSU Study**)

”Roughly 11% of children ages 4-17, have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011”

-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

** What they found was that the younger kindergarteners were more than 60% more likely to be

diagnosed with ADHD than their older peers in the same grade. Correspondingly, when the group of students reached the eighth and fifth grades, the

youngest of the bunch were two times more likely to be prescribed drugs.

** “Using a sample of nearly 12,000 children, Todd Elder examined the difference in ADHD diagnosis and medication rates between the youngest and oldest children in a grade. The data is from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort,

which is funded by the National Center for Education Statistics.” **“Elder used the students’ birth dates and the states’ kindergarten eligibility cutoff dates to

determine the youngest and oldest students in a grade. For instance, in Michigan – where the

kindergarten cutoff date is Dec. 1 – students born on that day had much higher rates of ADHD than

children born Dec. 2. (The students born Dec. 1 were the youngest in their grade; the students born Dec. 2 enrolled a year later and were the oldest in their

grade.) Thus, even though the students were a single day apart in age, they were assessed

differently simply because they were compared against classmates of a different age, Elder said.”

What is ADHD?ADHD defined by the National Library of Medicine: Is a problem of not being able to focus, being overactive, not being able control behavior, or a combination of these. For these problems to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for a person's age and development.

Studies of brain scans have shown that in youth with ADHD the brain matures normally, but the regions involved in thinking, paying attention and planning and delayed in development by about 3 years. More recent studies have found that; “the outermost layer of the brain, the cortex, shows delayed maturation overall, and a brain structure important for proper communications between the two halves of the brain shows an abnormal growth pattern. These delays and abnormalities may underlie the hallmark symptoms of ADHD and help to explain how the disorder may develop.” (National Institute of Mental Health NIMH)

There are no official tests that can diagnose a child with ADHD. Most of it begins when the parents start to notice that the child loses interest in activities quicker than other children, or is constantly off-the-walls and riled up. Teachers first begin to see symptoms when the child has difficulty following rules, staying on task and a problem with day dreaming or ‘spacing-out.’ Most of which can be filed under typical kid behavior. The final decision is left up to a licensed professional who needs to gather information about the child, their behavior and environment before determining the diagnosis.

Symptoms

Children who have symptoms of inattention may: Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another. Have difficulty focusing on one thing. Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable. Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new. Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities. Don’t seem to listen when spoken to. Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly. Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others. Struggle to follow instructions.

Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may: Fidget and squirm in their seats. Talk nonstop. Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight. Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time. Be constantly in motion. Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may: Be very impatient. Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences. Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games. Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.

(National Institute of Mental Health)

Medication

Ritalin: [Methylphenidate Stimulant] Side effects; Addiction. Nervousness including agitation, anxiety and irritability. Trouble sleeping (insomnia). Decreased appetite. Headache. Stomach ache. Nausea. Dizziness. Heart palpitations.

Adderall: [Amphetamine Stimulant] Side effects; Nervousness, restlessness, excitability, dizziness, headache, fear, anxiety, and tremor. Blood pressure and heart rate may increase, and patients may experience palpitations of the heart. Adderall is habit forming and chronic use may lead to dependence.

Strattera: [Non-stimulants] Side effects; Sleep problems, anxiety, fatigue, upset stomach, dizziness, dry mouth. Rarely, liver damage. There are some concerns about a link between Strattera and suicidal thoughts.

Top drugs prescribed to

children for ADHD(Childs Mind Institute CMI)

This is what we are giving to our children.

“To understand ADHD medications, you need to keep two neurochemicals in mind: dopamine and norepinephrine. Both are important for attention and focus, for the functioning of the pre-frontal cortex region of the brain. These two chemicals are critical for those functions, dopamine for decreasing signals from the external stimuli that might be distracting to you, and norepinephrine for improving the signal you're trying to focus on, to pay attention to. When you take Ritalin, Adderall, or any other stimulant medication, what it does is help bring up the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. If you get optimal levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, you are pretty focused. But if you get too much, you can stress out the brain.” (CMI)

The Quiet-Time Program

• 21% increase in high school graduation rateEducation 133 (4): 495-500, 2013

• 10% improvement in test scores and GPAEducation 131: 556–565, 2011

• Increased attendance and decreased suspensions for high school students Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1:10, 2003

• Reduced ADHD symptoms and symptoms of other learning disordersMind & Brain: The Journal of Psychiatry 2 (1): 73-81, 2011

• Increased intelligence and creativityIntelligence 29: 419-440, 2001

• 40% reduction in psychological distress, including stress, anxiety and depressionAmerican Journal of Hypertension 22(12): 1326-1331, 2009

• Reduction in teacher burnout and perceived stressPermanante Journal 18 (1): 19-23, 2014

“Quiet Time provides students with two 15-minute periods of Transcendental Meditation

each day to help balance their lives and improve their readiness to learn. This school

wide program complements existing educational strategies by improving the

physiological underpinnings of learning and behavior.” -David Lynch Foundation Research on schools with a Quiet-Time program has

found:

Transcendental Meditation: A simple, natural, effortless technique practiced 20 minutes twice each day,

while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.

Over 350 published research studies have found that the TM technique effortlessly produces a state of restful alertness that markedly reduces stress, anxiety, and fatigue, and promotes balanced functioning of mind and body.

“I make my living by evaluating kids who are struggling with classroom achievement, behavioral problems, depression and neurological disorders. Stress plays a significant role in all of these problems. I see many children with learning disorders and ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—and there’s absolutely no question that stress significantly interferes with a child’s ability to learn and perform in school. The stress response, also called the fight-or-flight response, presumably evolved over millions of years in order to protect us from predators. When that fight-or-flight response is triggered, you aren’t supposed to be able to think clearly. From an evolutionary point of view, if people thought a long time about “What’s the right thing to do?” as a tiger approached, they got eaten, and they didn’t pass on their genes. Nature has protected us from thinking under stress. Consequently, if a kid is under stress, it’s very hard for him to think, to learn, to do school work, to pay attention to the teacher, and to manage his own behavior. I would say that the main principle that’s been most commonly derived from 20 years of applying brain research to learning is this: a child needs to feel safe in school in order to learn, because you can’t learn when you’re under stress. In some schools the Transcendental Meditation technique already does play a dramatic role in helping children overcome learning, attentional, and behavioral problems. -William Stixrud, Ph.D

TM Research

Many studies suggest that practicing transcendental meditation (TM) improves brain function and reduces symptoms among students diagnosed with ADHD. In one study researchers delved into the effects of transcendental meditation on task performance and brain functioning in 18 students.

The results showed improved brain functioning, increased brain processing, and improved language-based skills.

Students were also given a verbal fluency test; “This test measured higher-order executive functions, including initiation, simultaneous processing, and systematic retrieval of knowledge. Performance on this task depends on several fundamental cognitive components, including vocabulary knowledge, spelling, and attention.”

Experts say that EEG measurement can be used to help to diagnose ADHD as the ratio of theta brain waves can be used to accurately identify students with ADHD from those who don’t have it.

**Neuroscientist Fred Travis, Ph.D., and other researchers performed electroencephalogram (EEG) tests to measure and record the electrical activity of students’ brains as they performed a demanding computer-based visual-motor task. Successful performance on the task required attention, focus, memory, and impulse control.

**The study took place over a period of six months at an independent school for children with language-based learning disabilities in Washington, D.C., and is published in Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry.

**“In normal individuals, theta activity in the brain during tasks suggests that the brain is blocking out irrelevant information so the person can focus on the task,” said  Travis. “But in individuals with ADHD, the theta activity is even higher, suggesting that the brain is also blocking out relevant information. And when beta activity, which is associated with focus, is lower than normal, Travis added, “it affects the ability to concentrate on task for extended periods of time.”

**“Prior research shows ADHD children have slower brain development and a reduced ability to cope with stress,” said co-researcher William Stixrud, Ph.D.

**“We chose the TM technique for this study because studies show that it increases brain function. We wanted to know if it would have a similar effect in the case of ADHD, and if it did, would that also improve the symptoms of ADHD,” said principal investigator Sarina J. Grosswald, Ed.D.**Stixrud added, “Because stress significantly

compromises attention and all of the key executive functions such as inhibition, working memory, organization, and mental flexibility, it made sense that a technique that can reduce a child’s level of stress should also improve his or her cognitive functioning.”

According to research on ADHD children conducted in 2004, at the Chelsea School in Silver Spring. The children meditated for 10 minutes, twice a day, while at school and once a day on the weekend. The results were evident within two or three months and were astounding. It was found that not only does meditation help with ADD and ADHD, it influences many aspects of their lives including:

Improving attention; Improving impulse control; Improving problem solving; Improving organizational skills; Improving academic performance; Reducing stress, anxiety and anger.

brain after listening to a meditation CD

**“At the end of the research (Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry), the parents completed a questionnaire to assess their perceptions of changes in

five ADHD-related symptoms in their children from the beginning to the end of the study. There were positive and statistically significant improvements in the

five areas measured: a) Ability to focus on schoolwork, b) Organizational abilities, c) Ability to work independently, d) Happiness, and e) Quality of

sleep.”

There was a 48% reduction in the theta/beta

power ratios and a 30% increase in brain

coherence after the 6-month period. Studies

have shown that pharmaceuticals decrease theta/beta power ratios by 3% and neurofeedback by

25%.

**“These are very encouraging findings,” said Dr. Stixrud. “Significant improvement in the theta/beta ratio without medication and without having to use

any expensive equipment is a big deal, as is significant improvement in student happiness and

student academic functioning reported by the parents.”

**“While stimulant medication is very beneficial for some of my clients with ADHD,” Stixrud added, “the number of children who receive great benefit from

medicine with minimal side-effects is relatively small. The fact that TM appears to improve attention and executive functions, and significantly reduces stress with

no negative side-effects, is clearly very promising.” Stixrud said

TM Practice

The late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi derived TM from the ancient Vedic tradition of India. He brought the technique to the U.S. in the 1960s. (WebMD)

The person taking part in the meditation practice sit comfortably with their eyes closed and hands kept in their lap.

A mantra is repeated in thought to oneself; traditional mantra’s like ‘OM’ can be used or you can use whatever you please like repeating the word ‘relax’ or ‘gratitude.’ Your mantra can be anything you want it to.

The practitioner sits from 15 to 20 minutes, clearing their head of all thought and repeating their mantra; this is done twice a day.

Why are we drugging our children with highly addictive amphetamines when a few minutes spent sitting quietly and focusing on their breathing does

virtually the same thing to their brain as the medications we are prescribing?

“The practice of Transcendental Meditation creates a natural situation in the mind so that the mind entertains right thoughts, useful thoughts, thoughts that are cherished by nature and whose fulfillment is worked out by all the laws of nature."—Maharishi. (Science of Being and Art of Living p. 143)

Meditation is not just for children with ADD/ADHD, we can all reap the benefits. If we all spend twenty minutes twice a day practicing

mindfulness I can guarantee that almost immediately we will notice the difference.