ADHD Experts Podcast 152- What Neuroscience Reveals About the ADHD Brain
9 snips
Aug 2, 2016 
Joel Nigg, a clinical psychologist and ADHD research director at Oregon Health and Sciences University, dives into the neuroscience of the ADHD brain. He explains why kids excel at video games yet struggle in lectures, unraveling the brain's unique attention processes. Nigg discusses how stimulant medications work to 'calm' ADHD brains and emphasizes the importance of personalized treatment approaches. He also highlights advances in neuroimaging and brain circuitry that can reshape our understanding of ADHD diagnostics and emotional regulation.
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Split‑Second Delay Causes Blurting
- Impulse control depends on split-second stopping signals that many ADHD children miss.
- They need extra tens of milliseconds to inhibit actions, which produces blurting and social timing errors.
Emotion Circuits: Amygdala–Insula Breakdown
- Emotional outbursts in ADHD link to weak amygdala–insula connectivity.
- Reduced coordination of this circuit predicts greater emotional lability and slow recovery from tantrums.
Immediate Rewards Drive Behavior
- ADHD brains overvalue immediate rewards and undervalue delayed ones.
- Reduced nucleus accumbens–prefrontal connectivity explains impulsive choices and frustration with delayed outcomes.
