ADHD

Question 1

What type of disorder is ADHD classified as in the DSM-5?

Answer 1

A neurodevelopmental disorder.

Question 2

What are the DSM-5 specifiers for ADHD?

Answer 2

ADHD-I (Inattentive), ADHD-H (Hyperactive/Impulsive), ADHD-HI (Combined).

Question 3

What percentage of people retain an ADHD diagnosis into adulthood?

Answer 3

At least one-third.

Question 4

Who was the first to describe children with attention and self-control problems?

Answer 4

George Still.

Question 5

What historical event led to the “brain-injured child syndrome”?

Answer 5

The worldwide influenza epidemic (1917–1926) and its complications.

Question 6

What was ADHD called in the 1950s?

Answer 6

Hyperkinesis. Led to definition of hyperactive child syndrom, motor overactivity seen as main feature

Question 7

When did attention deficits and impulse control begin to be recognized as key symptoms of ADHD?

Answer 7

In the 1970s.

Question 8

What trend occurred in the 1980s regarding ADHD?

Answer 8

Increased interest in the disorder and more frequent use of stimulant medications.

Question 9

What are the three types of attention deficits in ADHD?

Answer 9

Deficits may be seen in one or more types of inattention: Selective attention, sustained attention (vigilance), and alerting.

Question 10

What are common traits in the Predominantly Inattentive Specifier?

Answer 10

Daydreaming, confusion, learning difficulties, slow processing, anxiety, social withdrawal.

Question 11

What behaviors are associated with hyperactivity in ADHD?

Answer 11

Fidgeting, excessive talking, climbing, touching everything, pencil tapping.

Question 12

Which ADHD presentation is most often referred for treatment?

Answer 12

Combined Type (ADHD-HI).

Question 13

What problems are more common in ADHD-H and ADHD-HI presentations?

Answer 13

Aggression, peer rejection, defiance, special education placement.

Question 14

How common is the Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive (ADHD-H) presentation?

Answer 14

It is rare, typically seen in preschool-aged children, and has limited validity for older children.

Question 15

What is the prevalence of ADHD in North American school-age children?

Answer 15

About 4-8% of school-age children

Question 16

What is the male-to-female ratio in ADHD diagnoses?

Answer 16

Approximately 2.5 males for every 1 female diagnosed.

Question 17

What is the estimated worldwide prevalence of ADHD?

Answer 17

5.2%, with highest rates in South America and Africa (8-12%) and lowest in Japan and China (2-5%).

Question 18

How common is ADHD in adults in the U.S.?

Answer 18

8.1% report a lifetime history; 4.4% currently meet criteria for ADHD.

Question 19

What kinds of cognitive deficits are associated with ADHD?

Answer 19

Deficits in executive functioning, including working memory, planning, self-regulation, communication, and response inhibition.

Question 20

What percentage of children with ADHD have comorbid disorders?

Answer 20

As many as 80% have co-occurring psychological disorders.

Question 21

What are the most common comorbidities in children with ADHD?

Answer 21

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) (~50%), Conduct Disorder (CD) (30-50%), Anxiety Disorders (25%), Mood Disorders (20-30%), and increased Substance Use Disorders.

Question 22

What is homotypic continuity?

Answer 22

When the same disorder persists across time (e.g., childhood ADHD → adolescent ADHD).

Question 23

What is heterotypic continuity?

Answer 23

When one disorder predicts the development of a different disorder over time (e.g., ADHD → depression).

Question 24

What are two explanations for heterotypic continuity?

Answer 24

1. Failure Model: ADHD symptoms → social struggles (e.g., conflict, rejection) → later mental health issues (e.g., depression).
2. Shared Etiopathogenic Factors: Common genetic or biological traits (e.g., irritability) underlie multiple disorders across development.

Question 25

What did the ALSPAC study show about ADHD?

Answer 25

ADHD at age 7.5 predicted ADHD and other disorders (like GAD, MDD) at age 14—supporting both types of continuity.

Question 26

What ADHD symptoms are less relevant in adulthood?

Answer 26

Hyperactivity—adults may mask or control these behaviors better.

Question 27

How persistent is ADHD into adulthood, according to studies?

Answer 27

Diagnosis persistence: 5.7–77%; symptom persistence: 60–86%.

Question 28

What evidence shows that ADHD is genetic?

Answer 28

1/3 of biological relatives of kids with ADHD also have it 3x higher rates in biological vs. adoptive parents Twin studies show ~80% heritability

Question 29

How common are emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) in ADHD?

Answer 29

21–66% of adolescents and adults with ADHD have significant ERD.

Question 30

What did Brocki et al. (2017) find about ER and inattention over time?

Answer 30

Poor emotion regulation, especially poor regulation of positive emotions, predicted increased inattention; good ER predicted decreased inattention.

Question 31

What brain areas show reduced volume in ADHD?

Answer 31

Prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), caudate, corpus callosum, cerebellum.

Question 32

What brain activity pattern is often seen in the PFC and striatum in ADHD during attention or impulse-control tasks?

Answer 32

Reduced activation — these brain areas are less active during tasks like Go/No-Go, which require focus and inhibition.

Question 33

What neurotransmitter systems are most implicated in ADHD?

Answer 33

Dopamine and norepinephrine.

Question 34

Why do researchers think dopamine is involved in ADHD?

Answer 34

Because ADHD medications often help by increasing dopamine, so scientists believe dopamine plays a role — even if brain studies don’t always show clear problems with dopamine.