Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder and is characterized by an inability to stay focused on activities or tasks, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity (Ford-Martin, 1999). Although both sexes are affected, ADHD is more common among boys, and it is estimated that it occurs in between three percent and 9 percent of the children in the United States. Because boys are usually more aggressive than girls, ADHD in girls may go unrecognized and untreated (Ballard et al, 1997). Nearly 600,000 young people in the United States received daily medications for ADHD which mimic neurotransmitters. It is estimated that 40 percent of children referred to mental health clinics show symptoms of ADHD. Signs of the disorder are difficult to assess in young infants, but become apparent at two to three years of age and symptoms of the disorder tend to change as adolescence is approached (Ford-Martin, 1999). In early adulthood, many of these symptoms including hyperactivity diminish, but the attention-deficit problem remains in up to 50 percent of ADHD individuals.

Children with ADHD have short attention spans, and their lack of focus often results in poor grades at school. They are constantly on the move, have trouble with both gross and fine motor skills, and may be physically clumsy and awkward as a result. However, ADHD is not necessarily associated with a low IQ. Kaplan, Crawford, Dewey and Fisher (2000) examined

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ed extreme hyperactivity. However, probandwise concordance for extreme hyperactivity was almost identical among monozygotic and dizygotic cotwins when the proband scored high on hyperactivity in the absence of significant inattention. This suggests that extreme hyperactivity is influenced by genetics in individuals who also have significant attention problems, but environmental influences are largely responsible for extreme hyperactivity in individuals who do not show significant inattention. Despite several limitations of this study which the authors point out (twins selected because at least one had ADHD, contrast effects, version of DICA used, comorbid psychopathology, and lack of gender analysis), the evidence clearly points to a genetic role in the cause of ADHD. Biederman (1997) suggests that ADHD may be a childhood form of bipolar disorder. The early symptoms of childhood bipolar disorder include irritability and aggressiveness, but also distractibility, impulsiveness and hyperactivity, which are symptoms of ADHD. Biederman believes that some children with bipolar disorder may be wrongly diagnosed as having ADHD. A further complication for distinguishing the two disorders is that both appear to be genetically linked.

Category: Medical - A