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Adhd

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Submitted By hotrodwigg
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ADHD is not a new condition, but appears to have been around for centuries. In 1798 hyperactivity was described by Sir Alexander Crichton as “mental restlessness” (Hartmann, 2003). Although opponents suggest that stimulant medication has not been shown to be safe for treating ADHD these medications have been used for nearly a century. Stimulant medications were first reported to be used to treat ADHD in 1937 (Hartmann, 2003). The confusion may be fueled by the frequent changes in the diagnostic labeling of the disorder. ADHD has been termed to be “minimal brain damage”, “minimal brain dysfunction”, ”learning/behavioral disabilities”, a “hyperactivity”. It first appeared in the DSM-II in 1968 as ”Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood” (Hartmann, 2003). The DSM III referred to the condition as “ADD with or without hyperactivity” (Hartmann, 2003).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurobehavioral developmental condition effecting both children and adults marked by the presence of inattention and/or increased activity (VanCleave & Leslie, 2008). Delays in impulse control are also present. The condition appears to impact brain areas involved in problem solving, planning, and comprehension. The condition is thought to impact 3-5% of school age children (Greenhill, Posner, Vaughan, & Kratochvil, 2008). This condition was previously thought to be a psychiatric condition limited to childhood, but neurological evidence has been found for the condition being present in adults. It is a chronic disorder with a majority of those diagnosed as children continuing to demonstrate the signs and symptoms of ADHD throughout adulthood (VanCleave & Leslie, 2008).

Studies of the causes of ADHD have produced varied answers. One study showed delay in the development of the frontal cortex and temporal lobe thought to be involved in the ability to exercise control and focus

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