Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Essay

ADHD Research Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disability in which children consistently show one or more of the following characteristics over a period of time. (1) Inattention, (2) hyperactivity, and (3) impulsivity (Kirst-Ashman, Zastrow 2004). Children who are inattentive have difficulty focusing on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. Children who are hyperactive show high levels of physical activity, almost always seeming to be in motion. Children who are impulsive have difficulty curbing their reactions and don’t do a good job of thinking before they act.

ADHD classifies as a congenital disorder and directly modifies the brain’s functions, including impairments in concentration, emotional regulation, memory, organization and other mental abilities under cognitive function.

According to the research conducted by Dr. Laura A. King, the Frederick A. Middlebush Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, “ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorders of childhood, in which individuals show at least one of the following: impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention.”

ADHD, a neurological disorder, can affect the normal functioning of the brain and the nervous system in a person (Dodson)(Kinman). In the brain, the frontal cortex, also known as the frontal lobe, and the motor cortex are specific parts that can be affected by ADHD (Kinman). Normally, the frontal cortex develops a person’s personality and performs higher cognitive tasks such as planning (Frontal). It is also responsible for attention, reason, memory, and inhibition as well (Kinman). In addition, the frontal lobe is important in being able to speak fluently to others (Frontal). Because of ADHD, the frontal cortex is involved in cortical thinning. This area of the brain also matures slower in children with ADHD. There is a chance that some children

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

Theory suggests that ADHD is caused by a neurological and chemical deficiency that affects the development of the central nervous system. It is believed that this lack of development directly affects the part of the brain responsible for concentration. ADHD is also believed to be partly due to

ADHD individuals have deficits involved with the functions of executive control within the brain. This control center affects concentration, hyperactivity, and learning.

It was found that frontal lobe gray matter volume peaks at around 9.5 years in girls and 10.5 years in boys. The caudate nucleus peaks at 10.5 in girls and at 14 years in boys. By adulthood, a number of areas of the brain are larger in women than in men. This includes the frontal lobes and hippocampus. Early neuroimaging studies of ADHD have identified extensive cortical and subcortical volumetric decreases, including hindered cortical maturation, among school-aged children with ADHD. A recent analysis of neuroimaging in ADHD found that only 20% of participants were female and only 50% of the ADHD samples included females. More recent brain mapping studies of ADHD suggest a more understated pattern of neuroanatomical differences among girls that appears to correspond the earlier reduction in externalizing

Most people have heard of the term Attention Deficit Hyperactive (ADHD) disorder. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that interferes with an individual's ability to attend to tasks (inattention), inhibits one's behavior (impulsivity), and may interfere with a person's ability to regulate one's activity level (hyper-activity) in developmentally appropriate ways (Barkley 19)". The most important job for teachers and parents is to separate fact from fiction, to clarify what we know and don't know.

Many may ask what the causes of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorders are but the cause of ADHD is not completely understood yet. People suggest that there may be biological abnormalities, hereditary factors, and environmental factors for those who suffer from ADHD. Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorders may have biological abnormalities such as brain structure abnormalities or abnormal biochemical levels (Comer, 2016). Brain structural abnormalities tend to occur in the frontostriatal network of the brain. The frontostriatal network “involves the lateral prefrontal cortex, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and the caudate nucleus and putamen” (Curatolo, 2010). It has been shown that patients with ADHD have

Some students have major difficulties in life when faced with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or more commonly referred to as “ADHD” , although if recognized early by noticing symptoms this disorder can be properly treated and contained causing minimal troubles for the victim. ADHD will distinguish itself commonly at an early age. There are exceptions to this with ADHD in adults. Some people can go years without noticing their disorder. These people in particular fall to the devastating effects of this disorder. They do have the power in their

It was once thought that brain injury was the primary culprit for the disorder, but this theory has since been disproved by studies that illustrate only an insignificant number of ADHD sufferers have had brain trauma. Attention disorders often run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences. Studies indicate that 25 percent of the close relatives in the families of ADHD children also have ADHD, whereas the rate is about 5 percent in the general population. Recent studies have also focused their attention on the part of the cerebrum known as the frontal lobes. This is the part of the brain responsible for solving problems, planning, understanding the behavior of others, and restraining our impulses. In 2002, Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Child Psychiatry Branch studied 139 children over a 10 year span and found, through MRI and other brain testing technologies, that the children had 3-4% smaller brain volumes than those of normal, healthy children. Although MRI brain scans show promise as a diagnostic tool, scientists stress they cannot be used effectively for that purpose (Surgeon Gen 5-8).

It serves as the brain’s command center, that helps with "editing" behavior, resisting distractions, and developing awareness (NIMH, 1996). The caudate nucleus and globus pallidus, which are more commonly known as the basal ganglia, are located near the middle of the brain. They are "at least two of the clusters of nerve cells deep in the brain" (Barkley, 1998). The caudate nucleus and globus pallidus translate the commands, given by the prefrontal cortex, into action (NIMH, 1996). Researchers have found that these parts of the brain, which are in the right hemisphere of the brain, are smaller in children with ADHD than in children without this disorder (Barkley, 1998). The right hemisphere of the brain is normally larger than the left hemisphere, but some researchers have thought that due to this abnormality in ADHD children that this could be a cause of the disorder (Barkley, 1998).

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

“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition affecting children and adults that is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity, and overactivity” (CHADD). “It is a neurobiological disorder that affect 3-7 percent of school age children and may be seen as before the age of 7. The current diagnostic label is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, however, in the past several other names have been used, such as brain-damaged, minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic impulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder (CHADD). ADHD is a controversial disorder. Some understand it to be a true disability, while others believe “good teaching and discipline at home resolve the problems” (Kauffman 2005).