Adrenoleukodystrophy Case Study

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has a complicated and interesting history and because of that it is important to understands this disorders implications and comorbidity to better treat and diagnose it. Research done by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 11% of the US population between the ages of 4-17 are affected with ADHD; that’s 6.4 million children and the prevalence of diagnosis is only increasing (2016). It was generally assumed that ADHD was something children would grow out of but new studies show that approximately 4% of the adult population in the US are still suffering from ADHD or have developed ADHD (Breyer, J. L., Lee, S., Winters, K. C., August, G. J., & Realmuto, G. M. 2014). ADHD is

     Addison’s disease is a disorder of the endocrine system. It is a hormonal disorder that can strike anyone, any gender at any age. Addison’s disease has also been called Adrenal Insufficiency (hypocortisolism) because the root of the disease is in the adrenal gland not producing enough of the hormone cortisol, or sometimes not enough of the hormone aldosterone to satisfy the body’s needs.

Understandably of course it's a money making machine between the cost of therapy, medications, and depending on the medication weekly to monthly blood draws. There's lots of money to be made off of people diagnosed with ADHD. More than that though, is that it's become sort of a trend. “Few topics have generated as much public concern as the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outpatient visits for ADHD jumped from 1.6 million to 4.2 million per year from 1990 to 1993” (ADHD—Overcoming the Specter of Overdiagnosis. (2002). ADHD has

ADHD, a neurological disorder, can affect the normal functioning of the brain and the nervous system in a person (Dodson)(Kinman). In the brain, the frontal cortex, also known as the frontal lobe, and the motor cortex are specific parts that can be affected by ADHD (Kinman). Normally, the frontal cortex develops a person’s personality and performs higher cognitive tasks such as planning (Frontal). It is also responsible for attention, reason, memory, and inhibition as well (Kinman). In addition, the frontal lobe is important in being able to speak fluently to others (Frontal). Because of ADHD, the frontal cortex is involved in cortical thinning. This area of the brain also matures slower in children with ADHD. There is a chance that some children

As mentioned above this disease affects three areas of the brain; the language (difficulty with

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

Research is continually being conducted everyday with this common disorder. Many parents main concerns is the use of medication to treat their child. Many doctors nowadays show the parents the current research of studies being done and their effectiveness as well as providing papers for families for their willingness to participate in ongoing studies to better help understand their childs disorder and the best way to treat it ( Görtz-dorten, Breuer, Hautmann, Rothenberger, Döpfner, 2011).

Attention Defficite/ Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most previlant behavioral disorders affecting American children, with 5% of school age children, and 2-4% of adults being diagnosed. ADHD is diagnosed by consistant dehibilitating behaviors of hyperactivity and inntatention, however it is often misdiagnosed in children who are younger than their class mates, for this reason Xiaolong Peng, Pan Lin, Tongsheng Zhang, and Jue Wang (2013) have been working with a large data set of MRI scans of children diagnosed with ADHD to create an efficiant biological diognostic tool. A diagnostic tool based on five different factors in the brain which are predominant in ADHD patients would also help improve the understanding, prevention and

Consequently, Addison’s disease is said to affect approximately 1 in every 10,000 people and if left untreated, may be fatal (2).

Addison’s disease takes place when the cortex is damaged and does not produce hormones in adequate quantities. Doctors often refer to this condition that involves damage to the adrenal glands as a primary adrenal insufficiency. When the adrenal glands fail to produce adrenocortical hormones it is commonly a result of an autoimmune disease where the body is attacking itself. For an unknown reason the immune system sometimes views the

Adrenoleukodystrophy is a genetic disease that is passed on from mother to son. ALD is an X-linked disorder. That means it affects only males and is transmitted by a female carrier. This disorder is called X-linked since the genetic abnormality involves the X-chromosome. Women have two X-chromosomes while men only have one. In women, the affected X-chromosome, the one with the gene for ALD does not become active because of the presence of a normal copy of the gene on the other X-chromosome. Men have one X-chromosome and one Y-chromosome. In men who have an X- chromosome for X-ALD, there is no other X- chromosome for protection.

In the movie Lorenzo’s Oil it covers the story of a family whose son is struck with an disease called (ALD) or Adrenoleukodystrophy. ALD is a genetic disorder caused by a defect of a certain gene that is related to several related issues one is ALD. ALD only affects males, but females can only be affected by becoming a carrier for the genetic fault. ALD affects process of taking in fats like C-24 and C-26 which because they cant be taken in safely damage the myelin. The myelin acts as a protective coating around the brains nerves causing the afflicted person’s physical and mental health begin to degrade.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder also most commonly known as ADHD is one of the most common disorders among children and young adults. It is not only the most common but is on the rise in the United States over the past decade. Many people turn to the internet to find answers on such a disorder as ADHD. However, one has to be careful in what they read, because some websites are not accurate and have lots of bias towards one thing or another dealing with the subject of ADHD. Everyday Health’s webpage on ADHD is a very informative source and well put together by using authority, coverage and objectivity.

The movie is about a boy named Lorenzo who starts of as healthy or a normal child. At the age of seven abnormal things then start to happen to him: he starts having black outs, memory delays and other strange perceptual phenomenons. The parents then sent him to the doctors who ran tests on the boy. The doctors discovered that he was suffering from an extremely rare incurable degenerative nervous system disorder. There was no cure for the disease and doctors told the parents he will become disabled and will die in a few years and they should, make Lorenzo’s last days comfortable. The parents (Michaela and Augusto) frustrated by the doctor’s failings and Lorenzo’s diagnosis, they decided to do research on the adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) disorder even though they did not have scientific nor medical background.

“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition affecting children and adults that is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity, and overactivity” (CHADD). “It is a neurobiological disorder that affect 3-7 percent of school age children and may be seen as before the age of 7. The current diagnostic label is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, however, in the past several other names have been used, such as brain-damaged, minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic impulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder (CHADD). ADHD is a controversial disorder. Some understand it to be a true disability, while others believe “good teaching and discipline at home resolve the problems” (Kauffman 2005).