Kevin Leehey M.D. Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry Board Certified

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Kevin Leehey M.D.Child, Adolescent, and Adult
PsychiatryBoard Certified

• 296-4280
• leeheymd.com

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Salpointe Catholic High School Community of
Concern

• Whats Brain Got To Do With It ?
• http//leeheymd.com/medmemo/currentmm.html1
• http//leeheymd.com/powerpoint.html
• leeheymd.com

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Brain Development

• If a child is not played with, interacted with,
  nurtured, exposed to stimuli, or is rarely
  touched he/she will develop a 25 smaller brain.
• Experiences shape and reshape the structure of
  the brain.

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• By the time a child is 6, his or her brain is 90
  to 95 of adult size.
• Between age 6 and 12 neurons grow bushier by each
  neuron adding dozens of connections based on what
  is reinforced by learning and experience. This is
  why such things as learning a second language,
  riding a bike, swimming, learning to play a
  piano, or to throw a ball are easier when young
  and can last a lifetime.

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• Neuron connections peak at 11 in girls and 12 to
  13 in boys.
• Unused connections are further pruned out in the
  teen years at the same time the white matter
  protective coating around neurons called Myelin
  Sheath cells increase.
• The brain is becoming more efficient but also
  losing its raw potential for learning and ability
  to recover from trauma, drugs, alcohol, or
  injury.

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• Synapses that are used often are kept and
  reinforced.
• Those that are not used are lost.
• How you spend your time and the experiences you
  have or dont have are critical.

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• The part of the brain that makes teens
  responsible is still under construction.
• Brain development proceeds from back to front
  and bottom to top.
• The Frontal Lobe, which controls impulses,
  motivation, and judgement is the last to develop.
• Teens inconsistent Melatonin production
  contributes to irregular sleep patterns.

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Teens do best with 8 to 10 hours sleep, few get
it and phase shift. REM occurs about every 90
minutes. REMs get longer and deep sleep shorter
overnight. REM key for neurotransmitters and
memory. Naps lack REM.
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• Although hormones do play an important role
  and do affect the brain, the main explanation for
  the natural lability and moodiness of our teen
  years is brain development, or as some would say,
  the lack of brain development.

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The teen brain is more vulnerable to the
stimulating, damaging, and addicting effects of
nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs.

• One in three teens who start smoking as a teen
  will die of a tobacco related disease.
• 90 of adult smokers began as teens.
• Almost 45 of kids who start drinking alcohol by
  13 will become alcoholic, while only 10 of those
  who wait till 21 will.
• Substance use in youth thus becomes hard wired in
  as a tendency for life. This is in addition to
  any genetic predisposition.

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fMRI Images Comparing Regional Brain Activations
at the End of Videotape Viewing and at the
Posttape Baseline in 11 Cocaine-Dependent
Patients and 20 Healthy Comparison Subjects Who
Watched Videotapes Designed to Evoke Cocaine
Craving, Happiness, and Sadness.
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• Healthy Subject watching video of using

• Substance abuser in remission watching video of
  using

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• Twenty-five is the best estimate for when the
  brain is reasonably fully mature.

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Bad things can happen to Good kids

• Typically people dont say, I think Ill get a
  DUI and ruin lots of lives today.
• No one says or thinks, Gee, today Im gonna
  drink, smoke, or use a drug so I can become an
  alcoholic or addict.

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Causes of death ages 15-24
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Causes of death ages 15-24

• Accidents -primarily motor vehicle, many are
  substance impaired.
• Suicide
• Homicide
• These 3 account for 75 of all deaths in our
  kids. Suicide and homicide are mostly by guns and
  many are substance impaired.

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Suicide rates in children and adolescents (aged 5
19 years) in the United States
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SSRI prescription rates in the United States
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Suicides Rise Among YouthCDC data show a sharp
uptick in self-inflicted deaths among females
under 24 years old from 2003 to 2004. Federal
health officials said more data are needed to
determine if the rise is a trend or anomaly.
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Actual Causes of Preventable Deaths
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Heroin/opiates, MJ, Stimulants Increasing
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Opiates 1 New Use
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Opiates and more

• Vicodin
• Oxycontin
• HEROIN - smoked, foil, 20-40/gm
• Triple Cs, DXM, Robitussin,
  dextromethoraphan
• Salvia Head and some Smoke shops
• Meth, Crystal, methamphetamine, stimulants
• Soma, muscle relaxers

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Drug Use in Past Month, Ages 12 to 17
Teens continue 4-year drop in use Marijuana was
the substance of choice (6.7), followed by
nonmedical use of prescription drugs (3.3),
inhalants (1.3), hallucinogens (0.7) and
cocaine (0.4).
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Drug use in past month, ages 50 to 54
Older adults still using Drug use among adults
ages 50 to 54 rose 76 from 2002 to 2006. Rather
than indicating new users, the increase likely
reflects holdover from drug use established in
the 1970s.
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• Tobacco kills more than all drugs and alcohol
  together.
• Youth drink to get drunk - binge on as much as
  possible as fast as possible.
• 60 HS seniors have had intercourse.
• 50 HS seniors drink regularly.
• 25 HS seniors smoke cigarettes.
• 20 HS seniors use other drugs
• 50 teens will try other drugs by end of HS

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Tips for Parents

• Dont leave town and leave your teen home alone.
• Cell phones make flash parties possible.
• Dont trust sleepovers and campouts.
• Call other parents.
• If youre the host check whats up.
• Have your teen wake you up when they come home.
• Seat belts, air bags, slower speeds, less
  passengers, home before midnight, and safer cars
  save lives.

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More Tips for Parents

• Teens main source for alcohol and prescription
  medicines to abuse is your home and their
  friends homes.
• If you want your kids to come out of their rooms
  keep the electronics out.
• Internet and gaming are best monitored out of
  their bedrooms.
• 2 of us over age 40 smoke marijuana daily.
• Teens know homes where parents allow or give
  alcohol, weed, other drugs, or sex to your
  kids.
• Say No, Dont try to be the Cool parents, and
  dont try to be your kids Best Friends !
• Read the C of C booklet - its very useful !

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Thank you and good luck

• Kevin Leehey M.D.
• leeheymd.com
• 296-4280