The Connection Between ADHD and Smoking

The Connection Between ADHD and Smoking ADHD Living With ADD/ADHD Print The Connection Between ADHD and Smoking By Keath Low Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD. Learn about our editorial policy Keath Low Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 31, 2020 ADHD Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Living With In Children Diverse Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Teenagers and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to smoke cigarettes and become nicotine-dependent than their peers who do not have ADHD.?? They are also more likely to start smoking at an earlier age and have a more difficult time successfully quitting as compared to the general population. This is obviously a public health concern because the regular use of cigarettes is associated with a host of negative health consequences. In addition, for many people, cigarette use can be a gateway to drug use. Use of Smoking With ADHD There are a number of factors that seem to contribute to this risk for smoking/tobacco use by those with ADHD. Genetics may play a large role. Both ADHD and smoking are highly heritable. Studies have identified a number of similar genetic markers associated with both ADHD and smoking.?? These findings suggest that there are common neurobiological factors that may contribute to the development of ADHD and a persons risk for tobacco use. Studies that have examined the relationship between genes, smoking  and ADHD have shown that ADHD symptoms interact with genes to increase smoking risk. In addition, in utero smoking exposure may interact with genes to increase the odds of ADHD.?? Problems with impulse control might also explain why more teens and adults with ADHD are more likely to engage in risky habits such as smoking. ADHD can make it more difficult to look clearly to the future and take into account the negative health consequences of current actions. Though we dont understand fully all the mechanisms responsible, both neurobiological and behavioral factors seem to contribute to these higher rates of smoking in teens and adults with ADHD. ?? Social influences such as being exposed to smoking by family members and peers also raise this risk for cigarette use. Nicotine and Self-Medication Nicotine is a known central nervous system stimulant and appears to act on the brain in a similar way as the psychostimulantsâ€"methylphenidate and dextroamphetamineâ€"that are most commonly used to treat ADHD. For some people, nicotine (the primary addictive substance in tobacco) in cigarettes may serve as a form of self-medication for ADHD symptoms. A number of studies have found that nicotine can improve attention.?? Nicotine exerts beneficial effects on a range of processes know to be disrupted in individuals with ADHD, including attention, inhibitory control, and working memory, writes Dr. Scott Kollins, associate professor of psychiatry and medical psychology at the Duke University School of Medicine and director of the Duke ADHD Program.?? As such, it has often been proposed that those with ADHD are at heightened risk for smoking because of the beneficial effects of nicotine across a range of cognitive processes. It is possible that nicotine may help some smokers with ADHD compensate for their low levels of attention, arousal, and concentration. Additional research is needed in this area to more fully understand the effect of nicotine on symptoms of ADHD and how this might increase the  risk of smoking in teens and adults with ADHD. Reducing Risk for Smoking We know that people with ADHD smoke at rates that are significantly higher than their non-ADHD peer group. It is also suspected that smoking for those with ADHD may be linked to self-medication for ADHD symptoms.?? Therefore, it is possible that identifying and treating ADHD earlier may prevent the onset of smoking altogether. Studies show promise that treatment for ADHD may indeed contribute to a reduced risk of smoking in teens with ADHD.?? In one report, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School conducted a two-year, prospective clinical trial of extended-release methylphenidate for smoking prevention in adolescents. They compared clinical trial subjects with ADHD receiving extended-release methylphenidate (Ritalin) with a sample of “naturalistic” adolescent ADHD subjects  â€" some of whom were receiving stimulants â€" as well as with adolescents who did not have ADHD. The smoking rate at the end of the study was significantly lower in ADHD subjects who were receiving stimulant treatment than it was in ADHD subjects who were not, and there was no significant difference between ADHD subjects receiving stimulant treatment and non-ADHD subjects.?? Although considered preliminary until replicated in future randomized clinical trials, the findings from this single-site, open-label study suggest that stimulant treatment may contribute to a decreased risk for smoking in adolescents with ADHD, said the researchers. If confirmed, this finding would have significant clinical and public health impacts. Future research is needed to help us better understand the link between ADHD and smoking so that more effective prevention and treatment strategies can be developed, particularly targeted prevention programs for youth with ADHD.

L.A.S.E.R. Technology and its Applications Research - 1375 Words

L.A.S.E.R. Technology and its Applications Research (Term Paper Sample) Content: LASER TechnologyStudentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s NameInstitutionLASER TechnologyIntroductionLASER is an abbreviation Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, which is normally used to describe the laser operation theory. A scientist by the name Albert Einstein first published the concept of laser technology in the year 1917. The first operational laser was constructed in the 1960 by another scientist known as Theodore Maiman in California. He used a ruby crystal to produce laser light. The laser device produces a beam of light, normally in a specific wavelength in the ultraviolet, visible or infrared regions of or ultraviolet in the electromagnetic spectrum. The laser technology was further developed, leading to its wide application in the various fields.Properties of laser lightAs opposed to other forms of light, laser possesses certain special properties that make it considerably more dangerous and effective than the ordinary light of the wavelength. The laser ph otons have three distinct properties. These include: 1 Coherent- Laser particles are normally in phase. 2 Monochromatic- The laser light are normally of the same wavelength and color. 3 Collimated- The laser particles almost aligned ( parallel), with very little divergence from the originComponents of a LaserThere three primary components that make up a laser. These include: 1 A gain medium or lasing mediumThis part may be a liquid, e.g., an organic solvent or a dye; a gas, e.g., carbon (IV) oxide or helium; a solid, e.g., glasses or crystals; or a semiconductor. 2 A pump or an energy sourceThis section may be a chemical reaction, high voltage discharge, flash lamp, diode, or another laser. 3 A cavity or optical resonatorThis part consists of a void containing a lasing medium. It normally has two parallel mirrors on both sides. One mirror of the mirrors is highly reflective while the other mirror is partially reflective. This allows some amount of light to leave the resonator so as to produce the output beam of the laser. This is known as the output coupler.The laser is normally named in consideration to the lasing medium. The lasing medium also dictates the type of energy source to be used, and the laser wavelength produced. Figure 1 in the next page shows the various parts of below shows parts of a laser device.Figure 1: Components of a laser devicePrinciple of Operation at the Atomic LevelThe laser is a very powerful light source, having unique properties, which are not found in the conventional sources of light such as mercury lamps, the tungsten lamp, et cetera. The extraordinary properties of a laser device are that its light waves can travel up to a very long distance with little or no divergence. In cases of traditional sources of light, the emission of light is in a jumble of separate waves that randomly cancels one another, hence travel only up to a very short distance. An analogy of the scenario is a situation where a huge number of pebbles are sim ultaneously thrown into a pool of water. Each pebble will generate its own wave. Given that the pebbles are randomly thrown, the generated waves by the pebbles will cancel each other. The result of this is that the waves travel only a short distance. If the pebbles are thrown one after the other into the same pool and also at constant time intervals, the waves generate will tend to strengthen one another, thus travelling long distances. In this event, the generated w the waves are said to travel coherently. In a laser, the light waves are exactly in step with eaves are said to be coherent, thus having a constant phase relationship.It is due to this coherency that makes the laser beam so powerful, so narrow, and easier to be focused onto an object. The ordinary and laser light sources are as shown in figure 2.Figure 2: Ordinary and laser source of lightWorking Principle of laserLaser Action and Quantum TheoryThe action of laser is normally based on well-established concepts of the qu antum theory. Mr. Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist, articulated that an excited molecule or an atom, when properly stimulated by an electromagnetic light (wave), would emit packets of light known as photons, having wavelengths similar to the stimulating electromagnetic wave. A scientist by the name Charles Townes was the first is to make use of the process of stimulated emission as an amplifier by manufacturing the very first MASTER. (MASTER is an abbreviation for Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The very first MASTER was made in ammonia vapor. The wavelength of the ammonia vapor used was 1.25 cm. Through extending the principle of MASTER to the optical wavelengths, Charles along with another scientist called Arthur Leonard Schawlow further developed the concept by using an optical mirror cavity and laser amplifier to provide multiple reflections.This is necessary for the speedy growth of light signal into a powerful visible beam. The figure 3 sh ows the principle of laser action.Figure 3: Principle of laser action.Applications of the Laser TechnologyLaser technology has found applications in a wide range of fields. Some of the applications are discussed below. 1 Laser PrintingIn the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the application of computers in data processing, management, and dissemination. The application of computers in insurance, bank statements, publicity brochures for advertisements, electricity and telephone bills. The peripheral device needed by the computer to perform all these functions is the printer.Today, the application of computers in huge data processing installations has placed a very high demand on the printers in regards to its characteristic flexibility, printing quality and the speed. The traditional impact printers no longer meet the ever growing demand due their limited characteristic flexibility and speed. In modern printers, the printing technique is based on the principl e of electrophotography. Given that the light source in these printers is laser, they are referred to as laser printers..Figure 4: Schematic diagram of a laser printerThe photo-conductor drum (1) situated at the centre normally rotates at a constant angular velocity. Its surface is regularly treated with a photo-conductive coating material such as hydrogenated-amorphous silicon. When in the dark, this photo-conductor has a high electrical resistances, which normally drop when the coating is exposed to light. The surface of the photo-conductor is charged electrically by the use of the charge coronation (2). The charged layer is rotated past the write-exposure station, part (3). Only the locations on the surface of the drum where the information is to be printed are exposed. 2 SeismographyIn seismographic application, such as underground nuc...