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Adhd Research

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Submitted By dbeltran7
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Nicole Berz
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a highly prevalent, neurobiological disorder which generally has an early onset of symptoms (Biederman, 2005). Children of both genders are affected and symptoms often persist into adolescence and adulthood. It often includes varying degrees of age-inappropriate behaviors such as impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity (Barkley, 2002). These behavior traits must be prominent enough to cause impairment in the individual’s functioning. ADHD is considered a developmentally relative deficit. This means that diagnosable ADHD cases are often the extreme cases of normal traits, or result from an abnormal delay in normal traits. Evidence exists that the disorder runs in families, and it is assumed to be heritable (Biederman, 2005). Polanczyk, Silva de Lima, Horta, Biederman, & Rohde (2007) point out that this disorder has become a major public health concern because of its prevalence, early onset, and the serious financial burden for both families and society, that is often associated with it. Common predicaments with ADHD include overdiagnosis, stimulant medications as treatment, and the issue regarding worldwide prevalence, namely, whether or not it is more common in the United States. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been studied extensively, often with controversial findings, which implies that much more research is necessary. ADHD appears quite diverse over varying cases, but the general signs and symptoms are similar. Biederman (2005) describes frequent personality traits such as distractibility, daydreaming, and difficulty focusing on single tasks for extended periods of time, as being the obvious signs of the inattention component of ADHD. The hyperactivity component is more obvious through behaviors such as excessive talking, restlessness, and

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