Publications

ADHD Made Simple

A guide for people with ADHD, their families and friends.

ADHD Made Simple is for anyone who has been diagnosed with ADHD as well as those who only suspect they may have it.

It’s also for those people – parents, siblings, partners, children, colleagues – who love, care for or work with someone who has a diagnosis or characteristics of ADHD.

“As someone who has, for over three decades, followed the large and complex research literature on ADHD, I know first-hand how difficult it is to distil that knowledge in a simple yet accurate manner. Can we achieve that goal when teaching about ADHD? Dr. Poulton’s answer is yes and her new book shows that she has achieved that goal.”

– Professor Stephen V Faroane, PhD and President of the World Federation of ADHD

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Do you ever feel like you are trying to run your brain on a battery that is low on charge? How might this affect you? Which would be the first functions to lose their efficiency? What would you do to try and keep going?

One of the lesser known symptoms of ADHD is taking ‘mental short cuts’.

Therapy for ADHD Directed Towards Addressing the Dual Imbalances in Mental Effort and Reward as Illustrated in the Mental Effort-Reward Imbalances Model (MERIM)

In this chapter we describe a clinical model for ADHD: the Mental Effort Reward Imbalances Model (MERIM). We use this model to explain some of the behaviour commonly observed in children with ADHD and to guide approaches to treatment.
This is the academic version of the information contained in the Patient Explanation.

Growth on stimulant medication; clarifying the confusion: a review

We reviewed 29 studies of growth in height in children with ADHD treated with stimulant medication. 11 of these were of poor quality and did not detect any slowing of growth. The studies with more rigorous design showed a deficit amounting to approximately 1 cm/year less growth than expected during the first 1-3 years of treatment.

Stimulant medication effects on growth and bone age in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a prospective cohort study

We studied growth and bone age over the first 3 years of stimulant treatment in children with ADHD compared with their healthy siblings. Despite slower growth on treatment, the children with ADHD showed no delay in their bone maturation.

Weight loss on stimulant medication: how does it affect body composition and bone metabolism? – A prospective longitudinal study

34 newly diagnosed children were treated with stimulant medication for ADHD. The initial appetite suppression was associated with fat loss and reduced bone turnover. Central body fat, lean tissue and bone increased more slowly over 3 years of treatment than would be expected for growth in height. This study shows that relatively minor reductions in weight on stimulant medication can be associated with long-term changes in body composition.

Transition in ADHD: attention to the lifespan

We reviewed different models for transitioning young people with ADHD to adult services. The reviewed studies showed that transition may not run smoothly and that the adult services are frequently inadequate. This may result in attrition from treatment or inappropriate discharge from care. The way forward may be a generic ADHD specialist service treating ADHD across the lifespan and avoiding the need for transition.