Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or attention deficit disorder (ADD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder . It affects and impairs how people think and act. People with ADHD usually have problems with focusing and remembering what is said or done around them. They may also have extra trouble sitting still or being quiet.

ADHD is called a neurological developmental disorder because it affects how people's nervous systems develop.[1][2]

Experts think that throughout the entire world, about one in twenty children (5%) has ADHD. Some countries have more people with ADHD than others, and not everyone uses the same tests. Psychologists have found more people with ADHD in North America than in Africa and the Middle East.[3] In the United States, about one in every fourteen children has ADHD (7%), including one in every ten boys (10%) and one in every twenty-five girls (4%).[4] This could be because more boys get ADHD, or because fewer girls take ADHD tests.[5][6]

ADHD is most common in children, but many adults have ADHD, too. Less than half of people diagnosed with ADHD in childhood have their symptoms significantly reduced and in some cases "eliminated" after reaching adulthood.[7]

Signs and symptoms[edit | edit source]

People with ADHD can have trouble paying attention, be overly active, or be impulsive. There are three types of ADHD, based on which of the three symptoms is most common. Someone who usually has trouble paying attention may have some or all of these symptoms:[8]

  • They can get distracted easily when listening
  • They can have difficulty when focusing
  • They can get bored after a few minutes unless it's something they enjoy
  • They can have difficulty when organizing or completing a task, homework, assignments, and by handing in tasks
  • They can often lose items or forget about them
  • They do not seem to listen when they are spoken to
  • They can daydream, become confused easily, and not move fast
  • They have difficulty taking information quickly or correctly
  • They seem to struggle when following instructions

Someone who usually is overly active may have some or all of these symptoms:[8]

  • They may move around a lot when sitting.
  • They may talk without stopping.
  • They may run around touching or playing with anything they see.
  • They may have trouble sitting without moving while trying to eat, do homework, or pay attention in class.
  • They may move constantly.
  • They may have trouble doing things quietly.

People who are overly active usually lose these symptoms as they get older.

Someone who usually is impulsive may have some or all of these symptoms:[8]

  • They may be very impatient.
  • They may say things that are not nice or correct or do things without thinking about what will happen.
  • They may have trouble waiting for things they want to have or do.
  • They may often interrupt other people.

People with ADHD may have trouble making and keeping friends. They may also have trouble controlling their anger. While children with ADHD may have trouble doing some things, many children with ADHD will not have trouble paying attention to something they enjoy or think are interesting.[9]

Most people who have ADHD also have other mental disorders, most often oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorders (especially obsessive-compulsive disorder), mood disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders and personality disorders (especially antisocial, borderline, histrionic, passive-aggressive and avoidant).

Cause[edit | edit source]

It is believed that the main difference between neurotypical brains and the ones with the ADHD is the deficit in amount of dopamine receptors release within the synapses in the brain. This deficit is said to be the main factor in regulating motivation and sustaining attention.

Research of twins has shown that about three in four cases of ADHD are caused by one or both parents having ADHD. Siblings of children with ADHD are three to four times more likely to develop the disorder than siblings of children without the disorder.[10] Genetic factors are also believed to be involved in determining whether ADHD lasts into adulthood.[11] Some scientists think that ADHD is common because when humans were first developing, it was good to be overly active. Others think that, because ADHD is more common in children when the mother is anxious, ADHD developed to help children in dangerous places.

There are other possible causes for ADHD. If a pregnant person drinks alcohol, it can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which can include ADHD.[12] ADHD can also happen if a mother smokes tobacco while she is pregnant. Lead, low birth weight, premature birth, and some infections can increase the risk of a child having ADHD.

Managing ADHD[edit | edit source]

There is no cure for ADHD. People with ADHD can be helped with therapy or medication. Therapy is recommended for children who do not have bad symptoms or are very young. Therapy for people with ADHD helps with attention and behavior. There is also education for parents and teachers to help children with ADHD. Some physical exercise has been shown to help people with ADHD.[13]

The first line treatment for ADHD includes cognitive behavioral therapy and use of stimulants. Stimulants increase the amount of a chemical called dopamine in the brain, which helps with paying attention, planning, organization, and management of being overly active. These medications should not be given to children below the age of 6.

Society and culture[edit | edit source]

People do not agree about the diagnosis of ADHD.[14] The number of people with ADHD has increased in the last several years. Some people think this is because doctors are diagnosing too many people. Others think it is because doctors are getting better at finding people with ADHD. Some people think that ADHD is made-up and not a real illness, even though it's the most researched condition in psychiatry. Most studies suggest that ADHD is mostly caused by problems with genes.

Several famous people have spoken about the rise in ADHD diagnoses. Actor Tom Cruise said that the medicines usually given to people with ADHD were like illegal drugs.[15] Others disagreed with him because the amount of medicine given to people with ADHD does not cause addiction. There have been many studies about the effectiveness of the medicines used with ADHD. One certain study found that the medicine did help over a long time, but did not help more than other types of treatment.[16]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "LONI: Laboratory of Neuro Imaging".
  2. ↑ NINDS Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Information Page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS/NIH) 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Template:PDFlink. Centers for Disease Control, 2004. Retrieved on December 11, 2006.
  5. ↑ Staller J & Faraone SV. 2006. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in girls: epidemiology and management. CNS Drugs. 2006;20(2):107–23. PMID 16478287
  6. ↑ Biederman J & Faraone S.V. 2004. The Massachusetts General Hospital studies of gender influences on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in youth and relatives. Psychiatr Clin North Am. Jun;27(2):225–32. PMID 15063995
  7. ↑ Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder: ADHD in Adults. WebMd.com. Retrieved on December 11, 2006.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 59–65. ISBN 0890425558.
  9. ↑ Walitza, S; Drechsler, R; Ball, J (August 2012). "Das schulkind mit ADHS" [The school child with ADHD]. Ther Umsch (in German) 69 (8): 467–73. doi:10.1024/0040-5930/a000316. PMID 22851461.
  10. ↑ Nolen-Hoeksema S. (2013). Abnormal Psychology (6th ed.). p. 267. ISBN 9780078035388.
  11. ↑ Franke B. et al (2012). "The genetics of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults, a review". Mol. Psychiatry 17 (10): 960–987. doi:10.1038/mp.2011.138. PMC 3449233. PMID 22105624.
  12. ↑ NIMH (2013), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Easy-to-Read), National Institute of Mental Health, retrieved 17 Apr 2016
  13. ↑ Kamp CF, Sperlich B, Holmberg HC (July 2014). "Exercise reduces the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and improves social behaviour, motor skills, strength and neuropsychological parameters". Acta Paediatr. 103 (7): 709–14. doi:10.1111/apa.12628. PMID 24612421. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Foreman DM (February 2006). "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: legal and ethical aspects". Archives of Disease in Childhood 91 (2): 192–194. doi:10.1136/adc.2004.064576. PMC 2082674. PMID 16428370.
  15. ↑ "A Couch Tom Cruise Won't Jump On". Washington Post. June 25, 2005. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  16. ↑ Singh A (25 February 2010). "BBC must broadcast apology over inaccurate Panorama programme". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Report, Science World (28 February 2013). "Five Very Different and Major Psych Disorders Have Shared Genetics". Science World Report.

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