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KembaraXtra-Psychology - attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
ADHD is a DSM-5 neurodevelopmental disorder affecting roughly about 5% of children and about 2.5% of adults, more frequent in boys than girls, defined by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. Symptoms begin before age 12 and cause impairment across settings (school/work/home), with inattention showing up as poor persistence, drifting off task, and loss of focus; hyperactivity as fidgeting, tapping, unnecessary running about, and restlessness; and impulsivity as hasty decisions, risky behaviour, intrusiveness, and preference for immediate over delayed gratification. Presentations include predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types, and the condition has substantial heritability. It is no longer viewed primarily as an “attention disorder,” but as a developmental difficulty involving inhibition and self-control linked to brain regions such as the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellar vermis, which communicate via dopamine and may be smaller in affected individuals. It has also been called ADD and minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), relates to treatments such as atomoxetine and methylphenidate, and is compared with hyperkinesis, hyperkinetic disorders, intermittent explosive disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.
ADHD is a DSM-5 neurodevelopmental disorder affecting roughly about 5% of children and about 2.5% of adults, more frequent in boys than girls, defined by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. Symptoms begin before age 12 and cause impairment across settings (school/work/home), with inattention showing up as poor persistence, drifting off task, and loss of focus; hyperactivity as fidgeting, tapping, unnecessary running about, and restlessness; and impulsivity as hasty decisions, risky behaviour, intrusiveness, and preference for immediate over delayed gratification. Presentations include predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types, and the condition has substantial heritability. It is no longer viewed primarily as an “attention disorder,” but as a developmental difficulty involving inhibition and self-control linked to brain regions such as the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellar vermis, which communicate via dopamine and may be smaller in affected individuals. It has also been called ADD and minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), relates to treatments such as atomoxetine and methylphenidate, and is compared with hyperkinesis, hyperkinetic disorders, intermittent explosive disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.
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