ADHD Brain Disorder Case Study

The patient tells me he continues to do well with his Adderall XR 20 mg daily. He has been taking this now since the beginning of the year and he is tolerating it without any problems. He is having no side effects. He is eating and drinking normally. He has not noticed any change in his appetite when he takes it. He does not have chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or dizziness. No palpitations. He does not think that it affects his appetite or sleep and only perceives benefit from the medication itself. When he does not take it, he says that he is not as efficient with his time, he does not have the same motivation, he does not have the same attention to detail and concentration. He is pleased when he takes it. He is able to get more things done. He is able to stay on past better, better concentration, and attention to detail.

S: parents stated that Oscar was very anxious showing constant fidgeting because of first day of therapy

Sam is a nine-year old male in the fourth grade who has been referred for brief counseling. Both Sam’s teacher and mother have reported concerns that appear to be slightly outside normalcy. Based on the report from the mother and the teacher, I would diagnose Sam with 314.00 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, Mild. To be diagnosed with ADHD, there has to be several inattentive or hyperactive symptoms present prior to the age of 12, according to criterion B. Sam’s mother disclosed that the behaviors have been present for at least two years at home and Sam’s third grade teacher reported similar behavior. In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, an individual must have six or more inattentive or hyperactive symptoms which are listed in criterion A, characterized by (1) and or (2), that have been persistent for at least 12 months.

Alex is a good case study of a child with issues that may have been under diagnosed for an extended time. There are issues addressed in the video that are compelling, and there are also issues that appear to be unaddressed. There are questions to be asked to the parties involved, and about the procedures taken in his treatment.

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders children face. It is typically diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. “Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active” (CDC 2013). While there is no known direct cause of ADHD, many factors including genetics, environment, social class, and diet are possible links to the disorder. “There are three forms of ADHD; Predominately inattentive presentation, Predominately hyperactive-impulsive presentation and Combined presentation. Forms of ADHD are diagnosed based upon the extremity of displayed symptoms”( CDC 2015).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is a very common brain disorder that is predominantly found in children but can continue through adulthood (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). It prevents individuals from focusing their attention, and individuals often have trouble with their conduct due as well (hyperactivityto hyperactivity or , impulsivity). Brain imaging studies have revealed that the brain matures normally in youth with ADHD, but it is delayed an average of 3 years. The delay is most profound in the brain region involving planning, thinking, and paying attention. More recent studies have found that the outer layer of the brain showed

This paper explores Attention Deficit Hyperativity Disorder(ADHD) in children, teens, and adults. The American Pediatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals(DSM) have been used by healthcare professional to help diagnose ADHD. This diagnostic standard helps ensure people obtain the right diagnosis and receive correct treatment. The World Health Organization developed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health(ICF) to "describe the functional problems of ADHD and to provide a systematic and comprehensive framework and common language for describing and assessing functional implications of health conditions", regardless of specific disease or disorder.(Loe & Feldman, 2007, p. 634). The DSM specify criteria for ADHD and list symptoms that identify three different presentations of ADHD. Because symptoms can change over time, presentations may change as well. The DSM-5 indicated changes for the diagnosis of ADHD which include a change in the age of symptom onset, some symptoms need to be present in more than one setting rather than impairment, new descriptions of symptoms in older aged kids to range to 17 and above, and younger children only need meet five of the symptoms versus the six identified in the past.

According to Gonen-Yaacovi, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an illness in which an individual suffers from frequent difficulty in attention retention and thus experiences impulsivity and hyperactivity (Gonen-Yaacovi et al, 50). One major behavioral symptom of ADHD is “increased reaction time variability,” which has been found in studies of cognitive tasks involving stop-signal, maintained attention to stimuli, choice reaction time (CRT), and “go-no-go” (Gonen-Yaacovi et al., 50-51). This inhibition to reaction negatively impacts a person’s ability to maintain an attention-span, have a full-functioning memory, switch tasks, and fully control motor skills (Gonen-Yaacovi et al., 51). The prevalence of ADHD has increased in the past decade (Nigg, 524), and studies have shown that ADHD affects about 5% of children, with symptoms persisting into adolescence in as many as 65% of studied individuals (Friedman and Rapoport, 106). The etiology of ADHD has been studied for many decades, and the disorder has been linked to genetic markers such as DAT1, DRD4, DRD5, 5HTT, HTR1B, and SNAP25, and environmental factors (Nigg, 525). The culmination of these risk factors has contributed to ADHD’s association with emerging changes in early brain development.

His aunt reported that he did not like to take his medications, was always in trouble, refused therapy and did not like therapists. Because of his inappropriate behavior, he could not keep friendships; “he could not even participate in the Big Brother program” because he did not like to be told “no.” He assumed others were laughing at him and “furniture goes flying and he needs to get restrained for his safety and for others.” He had “been Baker-Acted numerous times,” the police visited the home on a regular basis, he was sent home from school also on a

In a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI), scientists have observed that ADHD might be related to how the brain is connected and how it is wired that the density in the development of the frontal lobes which controls and suppress inappropriate actions and thought, focus attention, remember things, work to get reward, planning ahead. While there is a slow growth in the frontal lobes, the motor cortex— the one that controls movement —matures faster than in a more healthy and normal child. (NIMH)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a “persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development”. (1) Excessively hyperactive, inattentive and disruptive children have been described in literature since the nineteenth century. (2) Despite this, ADHD has only been recognised as a mental health condition since the 1960s, being known by its current name since 1987 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Third Edition, Revised).

Clinical manifestation of ADHD are an “inappropriate degree of inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity” (Halter, 2013, p. 194). My client has a problems focusing in school and that leads to poor grades and loss of hope for the future. She displays impulsiveness by acting out and getting angry at whomever is making her upset at the moment. Halter (2013) defines Suicidal ideation as “thoughts a person has regarding killing himself or herself” (681). My client has suicidal thoughts, when life seems to bring her down. She has thought of making multiple cuts on her arm. She also has thoughts of ending her life if things do not get better. Depression is an “abnormal emotional state characterized by exaggerated feelings of sadness, worthlessness,

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, has been diagnosed in millions of American children and adults (CSPI, 1999). ADHD is prevalent in the United States, effecting approximately 5% -10% of the population (Boris, Mandel, 1994). Though considered a biological and psychological dysfunction, the cause is often considered idiopathic, and the pathogenesis is still unknown (Boris, Mandel, 1994). The median age of onset is approximately five years old, and researchers generally agree that ADHD has a genetic root and can pass from one generation to the next. (Farmer, Compton, Burns, Robertson, 2002)

ADHD is an abbreviation for attention deficit/hyper activity disorder. It is commonly referred to as a psychiatric disorder in need of therapy. The origination of the disease is in the neuro-physiological brain construct, and the main cause of the disorder is considered to be genetic (Wilson, 2012). Many children with ADHD struggle with impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention (Unnever, Cullen, & Pratt, 2003). According to McNamara, Vervaeke, and Willoughby (2008), “attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. It affects between 3% and 5% of school age children” (p. 38). In a

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD is a neurological condition affecting brain development. MRI imaging has found “abnormal grey matter and cortical thickness associated with ADHD in frontal, temporal and cerebellar regions of the brain” (from the ADHD Institute). This diagnosis has been given to 11% of American school aged children between 4-17. This is nearly 6.4 million children. ( https://www.cdc.gov) This number is staggering but is this what is really affecting our children? Is it poor parenting, poor diet, or is this the retention of primitive reflexes? We will attempt to answer these questions to determine if the ADHD diagnosis is overused or if the factors listed above are truly changing the lives of our