Medical textbooks in the s did refer to children who had what we think of today as ADHD symptoms. Then in , British pediatrician Sir George Frederic Still delivered three lectures about a group of children who had difficulty paying attention for a long time.
He said they had a hard time self-regulating and could be aggressive or very emotional and defiant. He noted that they did not have any intellectual impairments, in general, and that more boys than girls were affected. Still also looked into the question of whether the unnamed condition was something passed down in families. The disorder was the result of an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, a form of a brain inflammation caused by a virus.
PBD was believed to lead to hyperactivity and other changes in children, but looking back today, experts know that those children did not actually have ADHD but a condition that displayed similar symptoms. Around the same time, researchers began studying the effects of benzedrine, the first amphetamine.
In Rhode Island, Dr. Charles Bradley used it to treat headaches in children, and noticed that it changed the behavior of some, especially in terms of their school performance and ability to focus. Bradley and others were curious why a medication that was a stimulant would help children calm down, and a number of studies were done to look into it. Because the number of children with ADHD increases with age, estimates that include younger children are likely to be somewhat lower than those that focus on older children.
Estimates for the percent of children in the population who have ADHD vary widely across time and across survey methods. A historical view can provide necessary context to understand changes in the epidemiology of ADHD.
The way that ADHD is diagnosed has changed over time, so the difference in these numbers is likely to be influenced by variations in how the diagnostic criteria were applied. In addition, there were differences in the demographic characteristics of the samples used to calculate the estimates. It is also possible that the samples were exposed to factors that affect ADHD, but until more is known about these factors, it is not possible to know whether changes in these factors explain some of the variation.
Perhaps relatedly, the number of FDA-approved ADHD medications increased noticeably since the s, after the introduction of long-acting formulations. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. It's also a good idea to speak to a GP if you're an adult and think you may have ADHD, but were not diagnosed with the condition as a child.
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but the condition has been shown to run in families. Research has also identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD when compared with those without the condition. ADHD can occur in people of any intellectual ability, although it's more common in people with learning difficulties. Although there's no cure for ADHD, it can be managed with appropriate educational support, advice and support for parents and affected children, alongside medicine, if necessary.
Medicine is often the first treatment offered to adults with ADHD, although psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy CBT may also help. Looking after a child with ADHD can be challenging, but it's important to remember that they cannot help their behaviour. Adults with ADHD may also find they have similar problems, and some may have issues with relationships or social interaction.
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