A SIMPLIFIED VIEW OF HOW THE ADHD BRAIN WORKS
Describing how ADHD affects the brain can be a complex
explanation. The more that people know about ADHD and how it
affects the brain, the more likely they will be to be
compliant with medication. I have tried to develop a
simplified way to explain what happens. Here is how I explain it:
Think of the brain with all its structures. The crerbral cortex,
primarily the frontal lobes, are where the executive functions
occur. This is where problem solving, emotional management,
working memory, internal speech can be found. This can be
considered the human brain. The other brain structures such
as the limbic system, amygdala, the brain stem are the reactive
parts of the brain, the animal brain.
When scans of the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex viewed
in ADHD brains, there is less activity in that part of the brain
than in normal brains. Here is a way to think about why this is.
Pretend that in the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex there is
an executive desk with an "in" box and an "out" box and an
executive (the CEO of your brain) sitting at the desk.
In normal brains, messages from the the outside world are
transmitted through the senses (eyes, ears, nose, mouth,
skin) through the nervous system to the animal brain. The
message is then sent to the "in" box of the CEO in the
frontal lobes.
The CEO takes the message out of the "in" box, evaluates the
situation, makes a decision, puts the message in the "out"
box and the message gets transmitted back through the
nervous system and the person reacts. As you can see, the
brain scan of this non-ADHD brain would be active because
the CEO in the frontal lobes is busy making decisions.
In the ADHD brain, however, the message does not make it to
the "in" box in time. The message gets stuck in the reactive
parts of the brain, the animal brain. Because the message
gets stuck there, the person responds without the CEO having
an opportunity to evaluate the message, make a decision, and
send instructions to the rest of the body how to respond.
The poor CEO is very capable, having lots of knowledge and
experience but never gets a chance to use it. As a result,
the brain scans of the frontal lobes of the ADHD brain are
quieter.
The ADHD medications help the message get to the CEO so the
CEO can "take care of business".
explanation. The more that people know about ADHD and how it
affects the brain, the more likely they will be to be
compliant with medication. I have tried to develop a
simplified way to explain what happens. Here is how I explain it:
Think of the brain with all its structures. The crerbral cortex,
primarily the frontal lobes, are where the executive functions
occur. This is where problem solving, emotional management,
working memory, internal speech can be found. This can be
considered the human brain. The other brain structures such
as the limbic system, amygdala, the brain stem are the reactive
parts of the brain, the animal brain.
When scans of the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex viewed
in ADHD brains, there is less activity in that part of the brain
than in normal brains. Here is a way to think about why this is.
Pretend that in the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex there is
an executive desk with an "in" box and an "out" box and an
executive (the CEO of your brain) sitting at the desk.
In normal brains, messages from the the outside world are
transmitted through the senses (eyes, ears, nose, mouth,
skin) through the nervous system to the animal brain. The
message is then sent to the "in" box of the CEO in the
frontal lobes.
The CEO takes the message out of the "in" box, evaluates the
situation, makes a decision, puts the message in the "out"
box and the message gets transmitted back through the
nervous system and the person reacts. As you can see, the
brain scan of this non-ADHD brain would be active because
the CEO in the frontal lobes is busy making decisions.
In the ADHD brain, however, the message does not make it to
the "in" box in time. The message gets stuck in the reactive
parts of the brain, the animal brain. Because the message
gets stuck there, the person responds without the CEO having
an opportunity to evaluate the message, make a decision, and
send instructions to the rest of the body how to respond.
The poor CEO is very capable, having lots of knowledge and
experience but never gets a chance to use it. As a result,
the brain scans of the frontal lobes of the ADHD brain are
quieter.
The ADHD medications help the message get to the CEO so the
CEO can "take care of business".
