Shire plc today announced that a Phase 3b study published in Behavioral and Brain Functions found adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who took once-daily Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) Capsules CII demonstrated significant improvement in attention.

The Food Standards Agency has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. Another two manufacturers producing product lines free of the colours have been added to the list: Minara Foods Ltd and PoleStar Foods Ltd.

A regulatory protein best known for its role in a rare genetic brain disorder also may play a critical role in cocaine addiction, according to a recent study in rats, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

The Boston Globe: “Four Massachusetts community hospitals are investigating how thousands of patient health records, some containing Social Security numbers and sensitive medical diagnoses, ended up in a pile at a public dump.

Lancet Examines Health Workers Lost To International Organizations A Lancet Comment discusses how developing country doctors and nurses who are recruited by in-country international organizations, research institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can “prevent government-trained doctors and nurses from contributing to their [national health service] NHS.

When a certain protein is mutated or missing, symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome arise, causing a gradual loss of brain function during early development.

A new report shows that behavioral health problems affect every community throughout America but in unique, and sometimes surprising ways. The report, based on a nationwide survey commissioned by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), offers detailed analyses of the substance use problems occurring within these smaller geographical areas.

Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – the most common childhood psychiatric condition in the United States – are less likely to finish high school on time than students with other mental-health disorders that often are considered more serious, a large national study by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

A novel mutation found in a mouse gene might provide new insights into the genetic roots of alcoholism in humans, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The study is published August 12th in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

Some people whose drinking habits do not change over the years and decades may find that they develop problems with alcohol when they get older – aging lowers the body’s tolerance for alcohol. A drink now and again as one ages will not usually cause any harm.

The Boston Globe: “With a few computer keystrokes, Massachusetts physicians will soon be able to identify patients who travel from clinic to clinic in pursuit of potent prescription drugs that feed lethal addictions.

As the figures continue to rise, UNICEF says that 6 million children have been affected by the floods in Pakistan with some 2.7 million children in need of urgent, life-saving assistance. According to UN estimates, a total of 14 million people have been affected by the flood crisis.

“The State Department said Thursday that the U.S. financial commitment to Pakistan flood relief has reached $76 million,” VOA News reports (Gollust, 8/12). “On assistance to Pakistan, to date, approximately $76 million in assistance has been provided … by the U.S.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and the ADAP Crisis Task Force (ACTF) announced an enhanced agreement to support the efforts of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) to provide antiretroviral medicines to people living with HIV and AIDS.

As flooding continues to cause displacement, destruction and suffering in Pakistan, WFP is mobilizing all possible resources to ensure those affected receive food assistance as swiftly as possible. – WFP is planning to have reached 2 million people with food by August 20th – communities who are urgently in need of food and accessible to relief teams.

NICE has opened the consultation on its draft clinical guideline on the diagnosis and assessment of food allergies in children and young people. Its aim is to support GPs and other health professionals in primary care and community settings in recognising the signs and symptoms of food allergy, by giving clear recommendations on taking allergy-focussed histories to assess the condition.