The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7489 p191-194
16 February 2008

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Unravelling the mystery of ADHD

Samixa Shah gives an overview of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its current drug treatment

Continuing professional development articles

SUMMARY

Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a real illness?

This question is often asked because of a belief that ADHD is caused by environment or upbringing and, therefore, should not be treated with medicines. This belief is reinforced by media reports about “drugging” children who behave badly.

However, a lot of work has been done to show that differences in brain development, structure and function can give rise to behavioural and learning problems.

The term “ADHD” has been used since 1987. The principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. These appear over many months, with impulsiveness and hyperactivity often preceding those of inattention by a year or more.

Different symptoms can appear in different settings, depending on the demands a situation imposes on the child’s self-control but, generally, children with ADHD:

• Are restless, fidgety and overactive

• Continuously chatter and interrupt others

• Are easily distracted and do not finish tasks

• Are inattentive and cannot concentrate

• Are impulsive, suddenly doing things without thinking first

• Have difficulty waiting their turn in games, in conversation or in queues

In 1992, the World Health Organization coined a second term, “hyperkinetic disorder”, which comprises the more serious cases. ADHD is thought to affect around 3 per cent of children, although some studies give figures as high as 19 per cent. It has been found in four times as many males as females but this may be because males tend to show hyperactive and rebellious behaviour more than females.

The condition occurs in all ethnic groups.

Other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, tics, Tourette’s syndrome and epilepsy can often co-exist with ADHD.

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