Heroes Not Zombies

Research recently showed that ADHD drugs don’t sustain their short term benefits in the longer term and demonstrated the case for more complex interventions such as parenting classes, psychological and social training and support for the children, and so on.

One interesting element in the whole ADHD story is the environment. Here’s an interesting approach. Scientists at John Carroll University have developed devices for screening out blue light. What this does is to stimulate the production of melatonin which is an important element in setting an individual’s circadian rhythms. They’ve found that if someone puts on the blue filter glasses, or sits in a room with blue-screened lightbulbs, for a couple of hours before bedtime, that the melatonin kicks in earlier than usual (usually it’s induced by darkness). This seems to result in improvements in ADHD symptoms and also helps those who have trouble getting off to sleep.

I wonder if these are benefits which are sustained over time?