Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD)

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that ADHD is a neurological condition characterized by inattention and restlessness and is commonly diagnosed in early childhood. The paper states that there is a growing belief that ADHD is growing in incidence. The paper confirms the fact that attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased in incidence over a 10-year span in school-aged children.

Outline:
Introduction
Current Status of ADHD in the United States
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In November of 1998, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invited 44 experts from across the United States in psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and pediatrics to "develop a consensus statement addressing key diagnostic and treatment issues" on ADHD (NIH, p. 1). What came out of this conference was a confirmation that ADHD is a valid disorder that may be measured, that impairs "functioning caused by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity." They found a 3% to 5% incidence among school-aged children and noted a need to improve diagnosis, to enhance treatment and for better follow-up. There is a need for parents, teachers and healthcare providers to cooperate better in order to bring about the best assessment and treatment for these children. Stimulants appear to be the best treatment to relieve the symptoms of ADHD, though "the threshold of symptoms most appropriate for stimulant therapy had no consensus among the experts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. (2006). America's Children and the environment (ACE). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/emerging_issues/adhd.htm.
• Barkley RA. (1998). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Scientific American.;279:66-71.
• Barkley, Russell (2004) Attention-Deficit. Hyperactivity Disorder: Nature, Course, Outcomes, and Comorbidity. American Psychological Association
• Barkley, Russell (2006) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, Third Edition. New York, New York: Guilford Press
• CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005) Prevalence of Diagnosis and Medication Treatment for Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder - United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. September 2, 2005; vol.54, No. 34: pp. 842-847.

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