The Surprising Association Between ADHD & Inflammation (with Dr. James Kustow)

For more on ADHD and other health issues, register below for this webinar with Samuele Cortese, M.D., Ph.D. on ADHD treatment and heart health on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 1pm ET. Sign up and receive the free webinar replay link as well.

In this ADDitude webinar, Dr. James Kustow, a consultant psychiatrist and integrative psychotherapist, discusses the apparent association between ADHD and inflammation. He presents his 10-point Neuroinflammatory Hypothesis of ADHD and examines the role of hypermobility syndrome, which is strongly associated with ADHD, in this connection.

This ADHD Experts webinar was originally broadcast on February 27, 2025.

Download the webinar slides and access event resources here:
https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/t...

6:00 personal story
9:00 daughter's PANDAS
13:00 ADHD is an issue/ disorder with regulation
15:00 "how you diagnose the problem is often different from the real lived experience of ADHD"
16:00 10 domains of dysregulation: "it broadens the frame and thinks about the body, including the immune system"
17:00 "model opens up the frame to consider adaptive features - resilience, intuition, divergent thinking"
19:00 Neuroinflammatory hypothesis of ADHD: an overview:
21:00 does methylphenidate reduce inflammation?
23:00 allergies and atopy
25:00 infections
25:00 immune deficiency, hypermobility
27:00 are we looking at a broader syndrome with ADHD as one expression?
30:00 clusters of physical health problems
32:00 hypermobility: issue with connective tissue
37:00 Autonomic nervous system - dysautonomia can start in childhood, continue through life.
38:00 MAST cells - first responders
41:00 MAST cell activation syndrome "they are what release chemicals in allergies, make lungs tighten up in asthma."
43:00 what triggers it? infection, stress - "stress drives inflammation"
46:00 the role of toxins - lead, pesticides, air pollution
51:00 does inflammation play a role in emotional dysregulation?
55:00 can hormone shifts trigger MAST cell activation/ inflammation?
56:00 how to talk to your doctor about this?
59:00 benefits of a Mediterranean diet

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Resources
1. Read: Adults with ADHD Face Elevated Risk for 34 Physical Health Conditions
https://www.additudemag.com/physical-...

2. Read: How ADHD Can Intensify Physical Health Conditions
https://www.additudemag.com/physical-...

3. Read: Chronic Fatigue Twice as Likely Among Children with ADHD
https://www.additudemag.com/link-betw...

4. eBook: The Adult’s Guide to Stronger Executive Functions
https://www.additudemag.com/product/e...

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