A new device approved by the FDA will read children and adolescent's brain waves in order to test for atteniton-deficit/hyperactive disorder.
The 15 to 20 minute test will "calculate the ratio of two standard brain wave frequencies, known as theta and beta waves," a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) press release reported.
Children with ADHD are believed to have a higher theta/beta ratio than children without the condition.
The Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid (NEBA) System uses electroencephalogram technology to pick up electrical impulses from neurons; it helps diagnose the disorder by recording the frequency of different brain waves.
A study of the system observed 275 adolescents ranging in age from six to 17 who had been diagnosed with ADHD. The study participants were tested using common methods along with the new device. The study concluded the NEBA system was effective in aiding professionals with their diagnosis.
NEBA will be used along with other physical and psychological methods for diagnosing the disorder.
"Diagnosing ADHD is a multistep process based on a complete medical and psychiatric exam," Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said. "The NEBA System along with other clinical information may help health care providers more accurately determine if ADHD is the cause of a behavioral problem."
When diagnosing ADHD, medical professionals often look into the child's family history, use questionnaires and behavior rating scales to assess their mental state, and conduct a thorough physical, behavioral, and psychological examination, according to WebMD.
Symptoms of ADHD include: trouble focusing, getting distracted easily, trouble finishing tasks, procrastination, disorganized work and school habits, forgetfulness, and "frequent shifts in conversation."
ADHD is one of the "most common neurobehavioral disorders in childhood," the American Psychiatric Association reported via the FDA. Nine percent of adolescents in the U.S are diagnosed with the disorder at an average age of about seven years old.
William E. Pelham, the director of the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University, is not as enthusiastic about the usefulness of NEBA, The New York Times reported.
Pelham believes the system will simply be used to supplement other tests, and will be costly.
What's the point?" he said. "We're not going to run out and buy one of these machines to do diagnoses, because it is totally unnecessary."
