Volume 5 Issue 5 (May 2017)
It is no secret that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a major mental health concern today. Prevalence appears to have risen sharply over the last decade, aetiology is rather opaque, and new scientific data seems to be upending our assumptions in a dizzying flood of new information and treatment recommendations. Of recent interest is a growing body of research that pins the aetiology of ADHD in the realm of neurobiology, including an individual’s genetic and biochemical makeup.
This month we present a special feature on a plant-derived compound that may play a significant role in the management of ADHD—and it’s been around for quite a while: oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are a variety of polyphenol that gives plants pigments and acts as defence against a harmful environment For humans, OPCs have proved beneficial as an antioxidant. In “Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs) for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”, Dr. James Greenblatt and co-authors explore the therapeutic qualities of OPCs in what appears to be a safe and efficacious intervention to support cognitive function for those suffering with ADHD. I believe this is an important avenue for us as psychotherapists to explore as we endeavour to help both children and adults with ADHD, and we have dedicated the necessary space to properly flesh out the subject. In doing so, I am not suggesting we need to be medical practitioners or naturopaths to effectively deal with ADHD, but that leading-edge research by specialists in their field affords us a golden opportunity to discover viable treatment modalities that could work in synergy with psychological treatments.
The Psychotherapist’s Essential Guide to the Brain this month moves into the territory of memory—the thing on which our mental lives rely. Our survey amounts to the tip of the iceberg, but given that we routinely work with clients’ memory in an attempt to shift things in the direction of more adaptive thoughts and behaviours, the neurobiological component forms an indispensable piece of the puzzle.
In a brief word from a neuroscientist working with children who have been the victims of war in the Middle East, Juman Kubba writes about new initiatives to turn around the lives of children and their families who have been living with the horrors of war almost for a generation, Alan Fogel shares with us about body sense, while expert in behavioural addiction Mark Griffiths offers an interesting insight into competitive gaming. Our Spotlight this month falls on psychologist Ken Benau.
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Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs) for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Dr. James Greenblatt and co-authors explore the therapeutic qualities of OPCs in what appears to be a safe and efficacious intervention to support cognitive function for those suffering with ADHD. Mounting empirical evidence demonstrates that OPCs are a safe, natural, and efficacious treatment strategy in supporting cognitive function in clients with ADHD. To the ADHD patient, practitioner or parent, OPCs are a beacon of hope, substantiated by modern science to effectively address many of the root biologic causes of ADHD.
James Greenblatt, Jennifer Dimino, & Winnie Lee
- News In Brief
- Neuroscience – The Neuroscience of War
- Neuroscience (Guide to the brain – Memory)
- Applied NPT – Body Sense
- Prefrontal Muse – Competitive Gaming
- Spotlight – Ken Benau