Post by andy12345 on Aug 26, 2009 15:39:15 GMT
I was reading about glucose in the brain. As methylphenidate (ritalin,concerta xl) has been shown in studies to reduce the use of glucose in an adhd brain during activating tasks, I just googled "adhd brain uses glucose" or similar. I only delved quickly because that's the limit of my patience.
There are links after this "short" summary.
My summary.. (note that this does not take into account hyperfocus,
someone else can hypothesize how that works if they want)
Neurotransmitters look like being one cause of lower glucose in the brain, as dopamine and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are related to glucose availability. The brain needs glucose amongst other things, to function. The Adhd brain uses less glucose and/or less glucose in some areas than a non-adhd brain. If dopamine and/or noradrenaline can be increased, then glucose can be increased.
The more difficult the "activating task", the more glucose is used up..
I say it hurts to think.....
Oh, just had a little thought. Imagine this.......
If your glucose production/usage/storage potential is limited by your levels of dopamine/norepinehrine................amongst other things, then.......
Let's say, you use 120 units of glucose [per hour] doing non-activating tasks
You spend 60 units in half an hour, watching telly (a non-activating task usually)
(60 units left - and we won't bother about glucose recharging calculations)
Then you need to actually do something complicated......(an activating task) and your glucose use needs to go up to about 300 units per hour (5 units used per minute).......(it's only hypothetical.)
Well, of course after 12 mins of task you have used the other 60 units......
Now, you have run out, so you do the old pffffftttttttttt, adhd routine and give up.....
You perhaps do (non-activating) tasks to recover your glucose potential.
So, after 10 mins, you have recovered 20 units (120 units per hour = 2 glucose recovery per minute) and you start again.................and stop and start due to your levels getting too low and not recovering, stop start blah blah.
If you are really unlucky you will be trapped in the adhd loop of no productivity, not knowing what to do or how to do it best.
Then the frustration kicks in and ruins your day whilst you say" argh, why can't I do this"
Now, if you scale this down to minutes, seconds, then it gets much more adhd like.
Procrastination etc.
Anyway, it's only my way of looking at the glucose issue in an adhd brain.
Comments please..........insults can be sent on a postcard to "MI5 - insult response unit"
So, I suppose the best thing an adhder can do, is to ensure, at least, a stable blood sugar level from complex carbohyrdates and slow release, typically porridge, muesli etc to see if it makes their concentration a "little" bit more stable. Doing binge eating certainly does not help.
Also, getting those neurotransmitters up a bit, allows the take up of more glucose into the brain.
Funnily enough, stimulants like Mephylphenidate(ritalin, concerta), marijuana, tobacco and such and other "dopamine rewarding" tasks will increase or make available more dopamine in the brain. So, accordingly more glucose should be available when demanded.
Li
www.addandadhd.co.uk/possible-causes-adhd.html
www.hardybraintraining.com/page.asp?page_id=28
www.netdoctor.co.uk/adhd/whatcausesadhd.htm
stanford.wellsphere.com/add-adhd-article/can-adhd-be-treated-with-ginseng/662280
Wow, I am tired now, was I testing my hypothesis below without knowing it..?
There are links after this "short" summary.
My summary.. (note that this does not take into account hyperfocus,
someone else can hypothesize how that works if they want)
Neurotransmitters look like being one cause of lower glucose in the brain, as dopamine and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are related to glucose availability. The brain needs glucose amongst other things, to function. The Adhd brain uses less glucose and/or less glucose in some areas than a non-adhd brain. If dopamine and/or noradrenaline can be increased, then glucose can be increased.
The more difficult the "activating task", the more glucose is used up..
I say it hurts to think.....
Oh, just had a little thought. Imagine this.......
If your glucose production/usage/storage potential is limited by your levels of dopamine/norepinehrine................amongst other things, then.......
Let's say, you use 120 units of glucose [per hour] doing non-activating tasks
You spend 60 units in half an hour, watching telly (a non-activating task usually)
(60 units left - and we won't bother about glucose recharging calculations)
Then you need to actually do something complicated......(an activating task) and your glucose use needs to go up to about 300 units per hour (5 units used per minute).......(it's only hypothetical.)
Well, of course after 12 mins of task you have used the other 60 units......
Now, you have run out, so you do the old pffffftttttttttt, adhd routine and give up.....
You perhaps do (non-activating) tasks to recover your glucose potential.
So, after 10 mins, you have recovered 20 units (120 units per hour = 2 glucose recovery per minute) and you start again.................and stop and start due to your levels getting too low and not recovering, stop start blah blah.
If you are really unlucky you will be trapped in the adhd loop of no productivity, not knowing what to do or how to do it best.
Then the frustration kicks in and ruins your day whilst you say" argh, why can't I do this"
Now, if you scale this down to minutes, seconds, then it gets much more adhd like.
Procrastination etc.
Anyway, it's only my way of looking at the glucose issue in an adhd brain.
Comments please..........insults can be sent on a postcard to "MI5 - insult response unit"
So, I suppose the best thing an adhder can do, is to ensure, at least, a stable blood sugar level from complex carbohyrdates and slow release, typically porridge, muesli etc to see if it makes their concentration a "little" bit more stable. Doing binge eating certainly does not help.
Also, getting those neurotransmitters up a bit, allows the take up of more glucose into the brain.
Funnily enough, stimulants like Mephylphenidate(ritalin, concerta), marijuana, tobacco and such and other "dopamine rewarding" tasks will increase or make available more dopamine in the brain. So, accordingly more glucose should be available when demanded.
Li
www.addandadhd.co.uk/possible-causes-adhd.html
www.hardybraintraining.com/page.asp?page_id=28
www.netdoctor.co.uk/adhd/whatcausesadhd.htm
stanford.wellsphere.com/add-adhd-article/can-adhd-be-treated-with-ginseng/662280
Wow, I am tired now, was I testing my hypothesis below without knowing it..?