ADHD

Progress and Development made in Medication and Treatment Procedures for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder



Progress and Development made in Medication and Treatment Procedures for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Causes

Contemporary research suggests that ADHD is caused by multiple biological processes. ADHD is believed to run in families. Differences in brain anatomy are caused by genetic changes, for instance smaller frontal area of the brain. Functions and chemistry may also result into this disease for instance abnormalities in the amounts of neurotransmitters and lesser activity in various areas of the brain. Amongst other known causes attributed to the development of this disease, include substance abuse during pregnancy, lead consumption and brain damage during the prenatal phase.

ADHD has also been associated with various psychosocial factors including chaotic environment and surroundings, low socioeconomic status etc.

Frequency

Many children brought for professional assessment and treatment are diagnosed with ADHD (Sattler, 2002). It is a common disorder. Accepted figures of the number of people diagnosed with the disease are three percent and five percent, however, the number of people diagnosed with the disease may vary with the research or study used to identify them. The rate of diagnosis throughout the globe widely varies from one country to another. While Ukraine reports twenty percent people diagnosed with the disease, Netherlands has a mere three percent people diagnosed with the disease.

However, all these statistics indicate existing evidence of the prevalence of this disease in different countries and across various cultures? The disease has been observed to be more prevalent in the male gender than in the female gender. The ratios vary with the methods used to carry out the studies, however, clinical research suggests a ratio of six to one whereas community based investigations report a two is to one ratio.Though recent debates on the disease argue that there exist differences of symptoms between the two genders, however, apparently females tend to show similar nearly the same symptoms as males. The on-set and co-occurrence of these symptoms is also roughly the same, with the same potential for impairment in both genders (Wilens et al., 2002).Description

Impulsiveness, inattention and hyperactivity, are some of the primary features of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. People diagnosed with ADHD are usually found to be inattentive to details; they tend to easily give up on tasks before completion. ADHD patients also experience difficulties in organizing. Some common descriptors of ADHD patients are intrusiveness, impatience and restlessness.

Subtypes

Different subtypes of the disease are currently known, each subtype varying with the level and intensity of symptoms experienced by different individuals. The subtypes of ADHD include:

Inattentive types

Predominantly combined

Hyperactive-impulsive

Some people have questioned the legitimacy of the disorder considering the fact that these symptoms are part of the human condition. Therefore, a consensus is found on the statement that the level of severity of these symptoms should be abnormally high, and the individual experiencing them should have difficulty functioning in various circumstances and settings. Symptoms of the disease must be present consistently for a period of at least six ...