They may have difficulty concentrating, completing tasks or remaining alert, and may be disorganized and forgetful -- leading others to call them unmotivated, unfocused or lazy. They are people with Attention Deficit Disorder -- ADD -- and related cognitive impairments -- conditions that affect nearly 5 percent of the adults and older adolescents in the United States.
The new Yale Center for Attention Deficit & Related Disorders in Adults has been established to help promote understanding of these conditions and to provide diagnosis and treatment to those with ADD.
"The opening of this center is in response to frequent requests for this form of assessment, and will bring together professionals interested in ADD," says Donald M. Quinlan, professor of psychiatry and psychology and director of the new center. While the increasing awareness among psychiatrists, neurologists, pediatricians and educators has helped identify ADD so patients can be treated earlier, many older adolescents and adults have gone undiagnosed, explains Professor Quinlan. The new Yale center concentrates on these adult patients through initial evaluations and assessments and treatments combining education, behavioral therapy and medications.
The new center will sponsor a Continuing Medical Education workshop open both to health professionals and the general public 8:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 18.
Thomas E. Brown, associate director of the Yale center and author of the Brown ADD Scales, will speak on "Recent Developments in Assessment of ADD and Comorbidities." Dr. Thomas J. Spencer, assistant professor at the Harvard University School of Medicine and specialist on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, will discuss "Recent Developments in Medical Treatment of ADHD and Comorbidities." Comorbidity, or the accompaniment of one disease with another, is prevalent among ADD patients who often have from other psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
The CME workshop will be held in Rm. 110 of the Jane Ellen Hope Building, 315 Cedar St. A $25 fee covers registration, refreshments and a booklet of current articles on attention deficit disorders. To register and to obtain more information, call 785-2166.