Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A developmental disorder exhibited by 3% to 7% of children, most commonly boys. Symptoms include impulsivity, concentration difficulties, and excessive motor activity. Three subtypes exist: primarily inattentive, primarily impulsive, and combined inattention and impulsivity. Due to their impulsivity, children's learning is usually impaired, leading to poor performance on clinical tests of attention, memory, decision making, and other cognitive processing tasks. Although genetic predisposition appears to play an important role in the etiology of this disorder, postnatal brain damage, lead poisoning, and low birth weight have been ascribed a causal role. Evaluations of active or hyperactive children vary across cultural contexts due to differing norms, and this results in differing prevalence across cultures. ADHD can be treated successfully with medication and/or psychother apy. Drugs such as metylphenidate (Ritalin) are have been shown to have success in suppressing the symptoms of ADHD. ADHD is also known as hyperkinetic disorder. For more information, see Daruna, Dalton, and Forman (2000).