Parental alcoholism and family stress can also facilitate the development of alcohol problems

* Prior research has shown that children with ADHD can develop alcohol problems later in life.
* Two studies confirm this association, indicating that drinking problems begin around age 15.
* Parental alcoholism and family stress appear to add to the risk of children with ADHD developing alcohol problems themselves.

Researchers believe that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for alcohol- as well as other substance-related problems as they grow older. Yet the research is not always consistent. Two new studies help to confirm that ADHD is a risk factor for alcohol problems; adding that parental alcoholism and stressful experiences in the family play an important role in this risk.

Results are published in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

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(HealthCentersOnline) - Results from a recent brain-imaging study call into question the relationship between dopamine, its associated proteins and the presence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter important in thinking, motivation, short-term memory and some emotions, as well as immune function and motor control.

It was previously believed that unusually high levels of a brain protein responsible for transporting dopamine in some parts of the brain indicated the presence of ADHD. However, researchers found lower levels of these proteins in ADHD patients when measured against the control group.

"These results suggest that dopamine transporter levels alone cannot account for the severity of symptoms of inattention in ADHD," lead study author Nora Volkow said in a recent news release.

ADHD is a set of chronic conditions marked by an inability to pay attention, hyperactivity and impulsive acts. It begins in childhood and can affect all areas of a child's life. Between 3 and 5 percent of school-aged children—or about 2 million children in the United States—have ADHD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Boys outnumber girls by at least a 3 to 1 ratio, according to National Mental Health Association.

For many years, controversy has surrounded ADHD as some experts have differed over exactly what constitutes the disorder. In recent years, the National Institute of Mental Health has declared definitively that ADHD is a mental health condition.

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WASHINGTON (May 18) - Can you get smarter than a fifth-grader? Of course, but new research suggests some of the brain's basic building blocks for learning are nearing adult levels by age 11 or 12.

It is the first finding from a study of how children's brains grow. The most interesting results are yet to come.

About 500 super-healthy newborns to teenagers, recruited from super-healthy families, are having periodic MRI scans of their brains as they grow up. They also get a battery of age-appropriate tests of such abilities as IQ, language skills and memory.

The project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is tricky work.

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A brief screening tool called the adolescent risk inventory (ARI) effectively identifies adolescents who may be at risk of engaging in alcohol and other drug use or other dangerous behaviors, a new study concludes.

Psych Central reported May 4 that a study of youths ages 12-19 who were given ARI screenings showed that the screening tool is "reliable and comprehensive and can be useful in quickly identifying a wide range of teen risk behaviors."

The ARI includes questions about sexual history, self-harm, and attitudes about acting out. Experts say that adolescents' willingness to engage in one high-risk activity could be an indicator that they are at risk of others.

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May 3, 2007 (Boston) -- Women of childbearing age should avoid taking the commonly prescribed epilepsy drug valproate because of a negative effect on their children's IQ, researchers say.

They found that the intelligence quotient of 2-year-old children was an average of 12 points lower when expectant moms took valproate compared with three other drugs -- Lamictal, carbamazepine, or phenytoin.

In addition, 24% of toddlers born to mothers who took valproate had IQ scores that would put them in the mental retardation range -- that is, below 70 points on the standard IQ test, says Kimford Meador, MD, professor of neurology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

That compares unfavorably with 9% to 12% for the other drugs, he says.

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Science Daily — The baby brothers and sisters of autistic children do not seek emotional cues from adults, or respond to them, as often as other toddlers do, suggests new research from the University of California, San Diego.

The study is the first to investigate "social referencing" behavior in children from families at high risk for autism and also points to profound differences in related measurements of brain activity, said lead researcher Leslie Carver.

"Our results," Carver said, "support two important ideas about autism: That those behaviors that are diagnostic of the disorder fall on one end of a broad behavioral spectrum and also that there is a strong genetic component to autism, evidenced by the behavioral resemblances in close family members."

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Science Daily — New research indicates that young children with autism have a difficult time recognizing ordinary words and more of their brains are occupied with this kind of task compared to typically developing youngsters.

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A study by Australian researcher says consumption of alcohol in pregnancy may cause alcohol problems for the baby later in its life.

A study indicates that women who consume three or more alcoholic drinks in early pregnancy are in danger of having their babies develop alcoholic problems later in life.

The research, which had several thousands of women and their children observed for 20 years is among the first to suggest that alcohol consumption by pregnant women may cause problems in the child later.

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(March 27) - Ask a teacher whether her students are on track to earn a college degree, and she'll probably say "Sure."

Grant her anonymity, and you may get a different point of view.

In a wide-ranging survey being released Tuesday, nearly one in four teachers in urban schools paint a sobering picture of students there. They say most children "would not be successful at a community college or university."

Even more say students "are not motivated to learn."

In all, 23.6% of public school teachers at all levels say success in college would elude most students in their school. An additional 18% say they aren't sure.

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The Foundation for Alcohol Responsibility, (FAR), an alcohol-industry supported group that advocates for responsible use of alcohol and seeks to "prevent intoxication, drunk driving and other alcohol-related problems," has launched its first community-based project in Harrisonburg, Va.

FAR -- founded by the head of Health Communications, Inc., the company that produces the TIPS server-training curriculum -- will conduct alcohol-education outreach to local community members and leaders "while arming them with the information to both consume and serve alcohol responsibly and to intervene in instances of intoxication, " according to a press release.

"Our goal is to get the entire Harrisonburg community speaking the same language when it comes to the sale, service and consumption of alcohol. We look forward to a continued impactful relationship with the community and to using this format in other cities around the country," said Jill Kerr, president of FAR.

Restaurants and bars will initially be targeted with server training. "The training provided servers and bartenders with the confidence and skills to help reduce instances of underage drinkers as well as reduce the number of intoxicated patrons and patrons who drive under the influence," according to FAR. A followup program will send "mystery shoppers" into bars to see whether IDs are being checked.

Responsible- drinking messages and social-norms marketing also be will directed at local college students.