Patent Issued for Brain Imaging Methods to Aid in Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD

And now, the news (important parts highlighted in red so you don't get bored):

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent...that covers methods of diagnosing and monitoring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by assessing the level of dopamine transporter (DAT) in at least one region of a patient's central nervous system...The patent claims a variety of diagnostic and monitoring methods for assessing ADHD utilizing labeled compounds that bind to the dopamine transporter and are measured using any imaging technique including single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET).

In addition to methods used to objectively diagnose ADHD in adults or children, the patent covers methods that could enable physicians to determine the most effective ADHD drug treatment and/or dosage level for an individual patient, monitor the long-term progress of treatment for ADHD, and aid in identifying individuals at risk for ADHD.

Mark Hurtt, BLSI's Chief Medical Officer, comments, "The use of imaging techniques and dopamine transporter specific imaging agents has the potential to provide an objective, biologically-based diagnosis for ADHD. We are very pleased with the potential scope of this patent. We believe that the new patent enhances our position in this significant area of medical need. According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 3% and 7% of school-aged children and 2 to 4% of adults have been diagnosed with ADHD. We believe that imaging agents may assist physicians in confirming a diagnosis, resolving conflicting diagnoses, calling into question a diagnosis or non-diagnosis of ADHD, or selecting medication." (dBusinessNews.com, 8/11/06)

What do you think?

Comments

[pmg]

You may not have received many replies to this post but I can assure you I was very happy to hear of this. Anything moving toward this problem being more understood by everyone and not just those of us that live it, is a move in the right direction. I do wish we could balance this understanding with the positive sides of ADHD. I'd like to see some in-the-news articles about the brilliant minds that ADDers have, the ability to create and modify anything, the understanding of emotions and compassion. If we can find a way to educate the general public about the positives at the same time we are issuing patents to help us understand the mechanics of it, I think everyone would benefit.

The wife and mother of ADDers.