ADHD and the daydreaming brain

The default mode network (DMN) connects various parts of the brain; it is active when we are daydreaming or staring into space and gives rise to spontaneous thought but is suppressed when we are concentrating on a particular task. New research from the University of Nottingham suggests that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could have difficulty in switching their DMNs off which could explain why they have problems concentrating. The researchers compared 18 children between nine and 15 who had been diagnosed with ADHD against a similar number of unaffected controls scanning their brains as they played a video game. The researchers found that the control group were better at switching off their DMNs when they needed to than the children with ADHD.