September 29th 2000 - 17:30 BST
The Maudsley Hospital in London are carrying out research into ADHD and they have contacted us to ask if we can help them find people willing to take part in this project. The research is being carried out using MRI and they are looking for boys who have been diagnosed with ADHD but are not on medication.
The following is the brief they sent us:
ADHD Research Project using MRI needs boys with ADHD
who have never been on medication
Does your son have ADHD?
Is he right handed?
Has your son never taken medication to treat ADHD?
If the above questions apply to your son, we would very much like to hear from you. We need boys with ADHD in the age range of 9-17 years, who are ADHD, but haven't got any other psychiatric or neurological disorder.
We invite your son to take part in this research study, which compares the brain activity of children with ADHD with that of other children who have not got ADHD while in action, i.e. while they are performing computer tasks (like computer games). This will show whether certain parts of the brain of hyperactive children function differently from those of other children. The participation of your son in this research will contribute towards the understanding of this disorder, which in turn will lead to better treatment in the future.
We are using the very latest in modern technology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is able to provide us with a "window into the brain". The method makes use of a big magnet, which receives electromagnetic signals from your son's brain, which it then converts into a detailed image of his brain. One of the most exciting things about this scanner is that it is non-invasive. There have never been reported any harmful side effects using MRI.
We are able to pay you £30 for your participation, plus travel expenses.
We would very much like to hear from you if you are interested in participating in this study, and we will be happy to provide you with further information. Please call Dr Katya Rubia on telephone number 0207-848 0463 or Anna Smith, on 0207-848 0755, or you can e-mail us on spjwabs@iop.kcl.ac.uk or k.rubia@iop.kcl.ac.uk, if you prefer.
This is a really worthwhile piece of research and we hope that some of our readers will be able to help to further our knowledge of ADHD.
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