Lecture 15 - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Question 1

What does inattention refer to in ADHD?

Answer 1

Not so much difficulties not attending to a stimulus, but rather maintaining attention. Respond to more distractions more than normal as well -> impaired working memory is theorised.

Question 2

What does hyperactivity refer to in ADHD?

Answer 2

Mostly revealed through academic tasks, but there is evidence for low impulse control in general.

Question 3

Why was ADHD shifted from an externalizing disorder to a neurobiological disorder?

Answer 3

ADHD children appear to have immature executive problems. It’s symptoms cluster with autism, motor coordination, and reading/learning disabilities.

Question 4

What is ADHD comorbid with? What is a causal connection between them?

Answer 4

ADHD is highly comorbid with ODD and CD. However, ADHD children do not have high levels of ‘naughtiness’ rather they are attributed with it. Moreover, ADHD children become naughtier, which is then linked with ODD or vice versa.

Question 5

What are predictors and protectors of ADHD? (3)

Answer 5

• Variety of toxins: lead, nicotine and pesticides in the womb predict ADHD.
• Genes: 0.8 heritability.
• Parenting style: high involvement protects against ADHD development, and inconsistent parenting correlates with ADHD.

Question 6

What do adoptive studies reveal about ADHD?

Answer 6

ADHD seems to correlate with the biological mother’s impulsivity. The adoptive mother becomes more hostile towards the child for their symptoms, which subsequently increases the ADHD.

Question 7

How are ADHD cases diagnosed?

Answer 7

No single test, rather extensive interviews with a number of people - the child, parents, teachers, etc. Symptoms must be present across situations and do not appear in tasks they enjoy.

Question 8

What did the Multi-Modal Treatment study reveal about ADHD? (3)

Answer 8

• Medication alone and combined treatment were better than behavioural and community treatments.
• Medication was better than combined treatment (which was better for ODD). However higher doses were needed.
• Combined treatment were better for parental and teacher satisfaction, normalizing behaviour and improving functional outcomes.