This program will help us design better assessment and treatment for children with learning and attentional problems. Learn more
Welcome to the OHSU Developmental Attention Disorders Program,
OHSU operates a nationally recognized program, to study neurodevelopmental conditions related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by extreme inattention, disorganization, overactivity, and/or impulsivity that is developmentally out of the normal range and impairs functioning.The program includes initiatives in several areas related to understanding this condition. These areas involve the committed expertise of several scientists at OHSU, as follows.
Ongoing Studies:
Longitudinal study of the clinical features and outcomes of ADHD (Joel Nigg, Ph.D.) Funded by NIH Grant R37-MH59105. This study follows 600 children from age 7 to age21 and is currently conducting Wave 7 to Wave 10 follow ups. It is discovering the clinical trajectories of children who present with ADHD and what modifies those outcomes during adolescence and the transition to adulthood.
MRI brain imaging study of brain development in ADHD (Damien Fair, P.A.-C, Ph.D., Joel Nigg, Ph.D.) Funded by NIH Grant R01-NIH R01-MH115357. This study is following an overlapping cohort of children to look at unique features of brain development related to ADHD and its course of development and outcome.
Genetic and Epigenetic markers of ADHD and ADHD sub-phenotypes, cognition, and emotion (Beth Wilmot, Ph.D., Jonathan Mill, Ph.D., Joel.Nigg, Ph.D.), Funded by NIH Grant R01-MH099064, Abracadabra Foundation. This study examines genetic risk for ADHD in relation to aspects of ADHD and overlapping conditions. It also seeks to identify biomarkers of early insult via epigenetic signaling that may lead to novel clinical markers and diagnostics.
To participate in one or more of our studies contact us here.
In addition, the program coordinates the ADHD Clinical Service, a service provided through a joint collaboration of the Department of Psychiatry (Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and Department of Pediatrics (Institute for Development and Disability).
Finally, the program engages in training of students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as in community outreach and education. Students can apply for volunteer and internship positions here.