ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurobiological disorder originating in childhood that involves a pattern of attention deficit, hyperactivity and / or impulsivity, and that is often associated with other comorbid disorders.1-2
It is fundamental for the diagnosis of ADHD to evaluate that these nuclear symptoms that we have commented (attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity) are presented:
from an early age: before 12 years1.
with an intensity and frequency higher than normal for the age and stage of development of the child.
that they deteriorate or significantly interfere in the child's performance in two or more of the areas of his life: school or work, family and social. 1-2
not be caused by another medical problem, a poison, a drug or other psychiatric problem.
Although there may be clinical suspicion in children under 6 years of age, the diagnosis of ADHD requires having reached this age. In addition, ADHD is often recognized in children when primary education begins, coinciding with difficulties in school performance and the presentation of social dysfunctions.
Different presentations
The core symptoms of ADHD are independent of each other. Not all children with the disorder show the same symptoms or with the same intensity. That is, a child with ADHD may manifest only one of these three symptoms.
From the diversity of manifestations of ADHD, three presentations are differentiated according to the DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:
The diversity of manifestations of ADHD differ from three presentations according to the DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:
Predominant presentation of lack of attention arrows
The prevailing behavior is the attention deficit
(more frequent among girls)
Predominant presentation of hyperactivity / impulsivity arrows
The prevalent behavior is hyperactivity
and / or impulsivity
Combined presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity / impulsivity
They present the three nuclear symptoms
(attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity)
Prevalence of ADHD
The prevalence of a disorder refers to the frequency of its presentation in the general population. ADHD is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in children, ranking above others, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder4.
Because the diagnosis is based on clinical criteria and may vary over time, the data will fluctuate depending on: the diagnostic criteria, the evaluation method, the type of sample, the sources of information used and the sociocultural characteristics of the evaluated population.
ORIGIN
Due to the complexity of ADHD, a single cause can not be identified. It is considered to be a heterogeneous disorder with different subtypes, resulting from the different combinations of the various risk factors acting together.
However, it has been identified that the causes of ADHD are due to mainly genetic and environmental factors (prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal).
Environmental factors of ADHD (among others) are considered: cranioencephalic traumas in childhood, infections of the central nervous system, prematurity, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, low birth weight or the consumption of toxic substances such as alcohol or tobacco in pregnancy.
ADHD has a heritability of 76% (that is, in an average population, 76% of the factors linked to ADHD are related to genes, and the rest to non-genetic factors).
Studies have shown that family members of people with ADHD have a risk five times higher than people with no family history of ADHD