Disclaimer: All information provided on this website is strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care. Any question answered on this site does not constitute establishment of a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Jess P Shatkin, MD, MPH. Diagnosis and treatment are personal to an individual and are not done through a website; therefore, if you need medical attention, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
By submitting a question, you understand and agree that:
You will not include any identifying features in your question such as your name, mailing address, social security number, phone number, or date of birth.
You grant permission to Dr. Jess P Shatkin, MD, MPH to post your question on the Internet and share it on social media platforms.
Every question submitted will be reviewed by Dr. Jess P Shatkin, MD, MPH., and may be edited for length.
Any identifying information submitted will be removed or modified by the Dr. Jess P Shatkin, MD, MPH to protect user privacy.
Not all questions will be answered.
Your questions, answered!
1) What is your opinion about the use of qEEG for diagnosing ADHD or other psych disorders?
2) Do you feel that buspirone is an effective medication for anxiety?
Thanks for your email. qEEG is an appealing tool with lots of promise. To date, however, qEEG has not been proven adequately reliable for use in routine clinical diagnosis and care. There is increasing data showing that a rise in the theta to beta wave ratio is commonly seen among those diagnosed with ADHD, but that ratio can also rise with other psychiatric and neurological conditions. For now, our best evidence still supports diagnosing ADHD by clinical history and observation, along with collateral history and the use of standardized clinical rating scales. Regarding your second question, buspirone is often an effective treatment for mild/moderate anxiety, but it's utility for the treatment of moderate to severe anxiety is less impressive. Furthermore, the medication requires twice to three times daily dosing, which is very inconvenient. I rarely prescribe buspirone any longer, given the wide range of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that generally work quite well for all levels of anxiety and are given only once daily. Finally, it's important to remember that we have wonderful cognitive/behavioral treatments for anxiety, which are first line treatments. I hope this helps! - Dr. Jess
Dear Dr. Shatkin,
I couldn't believe how spot on you were regarding the subject of ADHD. The sad part, I'm 61 years old and still do major battle with the symptoms you described on Judith Regan's XM show. My question, how can I find a doctor in Indiana that specializes in older adults with ADHD?
Thank you very much.
Thanks for your email, and I'm glad you found the radio show valuable. Generally, the best trained folks to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults are child and adolescent psychiatrists. Don't worry - they are also trained to see adults. You can find a child/adolescent psychiatrist at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry websitehere. Best of luck. - Dr. Jess