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Feature Article

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Definition

ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination. For these problems to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for the child's age and development.

Alternative Names

ADD; ADHD; Childhood hyperkinesis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

ADHD affects school performance and interpersonal relationships. Parents of children with ADHD are often exhausted and frustrated.

Neuroimaging studies suggest that the brains of children with ADHD are different from those of other children. These children handle neurotransmitters (including dopamine, serotonin, and adrenalin) differently from their peers.

ADHD is often genetic. Whatever the specific cause may be, it seems to be set in motion early in life as the brain is developing.

Depression, sleep deprivation, learning disabilities, tic disorders, and behavior problems may be confused with, or appear along with, ADHD. Every child suspected of having ADHD deserves a careful evaluation to sort out exactly what is contributing to the behaviors causing concern.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder of childhood, affecting an estimated 3 - 5% of school aged children. It is diagnosed much more often in boys than in girls.

Most children with ADHD also have at least one other developmental or behavioral problem.

Symptoms

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) divides the symptoms of ADHD into those of inattentiveness and those of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

To be diagnosed with ADHD, children should have at least 6 attention symptoms or 6 activity and impulsivity symptoms -- to a degree beyond what would be expected for children their age.

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Mental status tests (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Mental status tests are used to see whether a disease or condition is affecting a person's thinking abilities. The tests can also reveal whether a person's mental condition is improving or getting worse. Reviewer: Paul Ballas, D.O., Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/15/2006
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Childhood disintegrative disorder (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Childhood disintegrative disorder is a condition occurring in 3- and 4-year-olds who have developed normally to age 2. Over several months, a child with this disorder will deteriorate in intellectual, social, and language functioning from previously normal behavior. Reviewer: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 06/13/2006
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Temper tantrums (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Temper tantrums are disruptive or undesirable behavior or emotional outbursts displayed in response to unmet needs or desires,¿or an inability to control emotions stemming from frustration or difficulty expressing the particular need or desire. Reviewer: John Goldenring, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/18/2005
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Developmental reading disorder (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Developmental reading disorder, also called dyslexia, is a reading disability resulting from the inability to process graphic symbols. Reviewer: Ian Marshall, MD, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 12/06/2006
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