Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Overview
Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder where the sufferer finds it difficult
to plan, focus, and execute plans that are quite regular for someone of their
age. It impacts the brain's areas that help us make decisions, analyze
situations, and take corrective steps to bring out the best results. It affects
around 11% of the children and 5% of the adults in the United States. It comes
in the affected person with characteristics like inattention, excessive
activity, and impulsivity that makes the sufferer behave abnormally. One
dealing with this disorder may also find it hard to express or regulate
emotions and perform executive functions that are decisive of how the person
acts and behave in certain circumstances.
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It affects millions of children
worldwide and often continues in adulthood, making it extremely difficult for
them to perform daily tasks and routine activities as the brain is directly
involved in the disorder. Patients of this disorder struggle in their school days
as they cannot perform necessary actions, resulting in depressed self-esteem
and poor academic performance; however, there is a possibility of lessening the
disorder's symptoms with age. Still, some might never outgrow from the problem.
Symptoms
A whole range of symptoms can
show up in the person living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Inattention, hyperactivity in children, or restlessness in adults are common
symptoms that can appear while discovering the problem. One must understand that
defining which behavior or sign is normal and which bolds out as the symptom of
this disorder is not an obvious task. Drawing a line between the normal level
of inefficiency in daily activities and the abnormality due to the condition
can be difficult to address even for a professional.
Various studies around this
disorder happen to suggest that the symptoms of this neurodevelopmental
disorder must stretch around six months or more with a degree much more
significant than others of the same age group to get registered as the
potential sufferer of this disorder. This evaluation must occur before the age
of 12 to get the initial diagnosis of the condition. Other symptoms are:
❏
Getting easily
distracted
❏
Getting bored easily
❏
Difficulty in
completing time-consuming tasks
❏
Daydreaming
❏
Getting confused too
often
❏
Trouble in
understanding details
❏
Short attention span
❏
Forgetful in daily
activities
❏
Restless
❏
Taking risks without
analyzing potential aftermaths.
❏
Running away from
tense situations.
❏
The problem in completing
homework and assignments
❏
Losing things too
often
❏
Struggle in
following instructions
❏
Lose hope easily.
❏
Having difficulty
getting along with others.
Causes
We are still unsure about the
possible causes of this disorder and those prone to this medical condition.
Once scientists and researchers of the world reach the point where we can
understand this condition's reasoning, we can expect medical advancement to show
us how to prevent this disorder and handle it better. However, genetics,
environmental factors, and social factors can affect an individual's mind to
develop this condition.
Genetics
Studies worldwide bolds out the
possibility of heredity to be extremely significant in the transfer of ADHD
from parents to children. Evolution may have contributed to the higher rates of
this disorder in males. Some have also claimed women attracted to men who are
risk-takers would have increased the number of genes inheriting the
characteristics of impulsivity and hyperactivity in the gene pools resulting in
higher chances of the person discovering this condition.
Environment
Apart from genetics,
environmental factors can also cause individuals symptoms of the disorder
developing in an individual. Alcohol consumption in pregnancy can cause fetal
alcohol spectrum disorders and may come with ADHD or symptoms similar to the
condition. Children exposed to certain toxic substances like lead or
polychlorinated biphenyls have higher chances of developing symptoms like
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Exposure to tobacco and smoke during
pregnancy can create problems relating to the central nervous system
development leading to a higher chance of ADHD at an early stage. Extreme
premature birth, less weight at birth, and social deprivation can also lead to
ADHD.
Society
There is an effect seen across
many countries where the class's youngest child was more prone to getting
diagnosed with this disorder. The reason is still unknown, but being
developmentally behind from other classmates and not being able to compete can
give birth to the symptoms falling under ADHD. The diagnosis may also reflect a
flawed education system or a dysfunctional family instead of being a problem
with themselves.
Diagnosis
As of now, there is no such test
or parameter which can precisely sort the person living with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder from a lot of random children. The assessment sorts out
the sufferers based on the child's behavior and mental development after ruling
out other factors like drugs or medications or psychiatric problems, explaining
the symptoms. Talking to parents, teachers, and mentors to get a detailed
report of the child's behavior is one crucial step to create a basis. In North
America, the DSM-5 criteria are regarded as an efficient process to evaluate
the children dealing with the disorder.
Screening of other issues like
anxiety, depression, learning, and language disorders, oppositional defiant
disorder needs to be taken under evaluation to get an overview of the problems
and difficulties one is dealing with to stitch a personalized treatment plan
which focuses on lowering the symptoms.
Quantitative
electroencephalography (QEEG) is one process that is currently under
investigation for its accuracy in detecting the cases of ADHD in the United
States. However, the food and drug administration has approved using the QEEG
technique to evaluate ADHD in children. There are also some self-rating scales,
like the ADHD rating scale, capable of assessing and screening ADHD.
Treatment
The treatment of ADHD involves
behavioral therapies, medications, and diet changes to control and manage it.
However, these treatment practices may improve the sufferer's condition, but it
cannot eliminate the adverse outcomes. Most of the cases include psychological
therapies in combination with medication rather than choosing one of them.
Psychological therapies may
include behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy,
social skills training, parent management training, neurofeedback, etc. to
impact the patient's way of thinking and view about life and other aspects.
Stimulant medications are the
first choice in the pharmaceutical treatment of the disorder. They are useful
in lowering the symptoms in about 80 % of the cases. It includes
Methylphenidate and some other non-stimulant drugs like atomoxetine, bupropion,
and clonidine.
Diet changes have shown little
evidence in improving ADHD, where free fatty acid supplementation and decreased
eating of artificial food colorings were tested. The addition of omega-three
fatty acid has also shown some ray of hope in lowing the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
