Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, misdiagnosis can happen because many of its symptoms overlap with those of other conditions. The symptoms of ADHD — such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and finding it hard to respond to instructions — can all arise from a wide variety of causes.
People with SCT have trouble focusing and paying attention, but they're less likely to be impulsive or hyperactive.
The termbradyphrenia describes the slowness of thought processes and inattentiveness often seen. Complaints related to autonomic dysfunction are also common in PD, even in the prodromal phase. In all parkinsonian syndromes, constipation is a common complaint and may become severe.
Although ADHD and schizophrenia have many differences, there is also an overlap in symptoms and some similarities between the two disorders. ADHD symptoms have been reported in individuals who develop schizophrenia in adulthood. Sometimes these symptoms are also seen in their children.
Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.
The exposure to stressful life events, and—more specifically—Childhood Trauma, has been shown to predict ADHD onset as well as persistence of the disorder into adulthood (Biederman et al. 1995; Friedrichs et al.
In addition to genetics, scientists are studying other possible causes and risk factors including: Brain injury. Exposure to environmental risks (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age. Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy.
Recognizing Symptoms
Symptoms of adult ADHD may include: Difficulty listening to others, trouble responding appropriately in conversation, or focusing on side details rather than the main point of a discussion. Procrastination and difficulty planning.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
Conclusions: Results suggested that ADHD cases were more commonly exposed to emotional abuse and neglect. They had significantly more dissociative experiences and reported Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms more frequently.
If you have ADHD, prescription stimulants can make you more alert, increase your attention, help you focus, and give you more energy.
Antidepressants can also treat ADHD, especially in adults with ADHD and depression or anxiety. Doctors typically prescribe them when a person does not respond well to stimulants or when someone's depression is not yet under control and contributing to inattention.
Psychosis is not typical of ADHD, but around 10 percent of people with this condition experience psychotic symptoms. One theory is that the stimulant drugs that doctors prescribe to treat ADHD may trigger these psychotic symptoms.
ADHD is often comorbid with an SUD, which may predispose to psychosis.
Many of the symptoms of a manic bipolar episode and ADHD may be similar, such as distractibility, restlessness, or impulsivity. So ADHD may go undiagnosed in a person with bipolar disorder, if a doctor mistakes ADHD symptoms for a manic episode.
Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.
Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms.
Causes. The most common cause of cerebellar ataxia, and by extension dyschronometria, is cerebellar damage. This can be by form of a trauma, or by disease and genetics. Examples of trauma include a car accident, stroke, epilepsy, and head trauma.
As you know, one trademark of ADHD is low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine — a chemical released by nerve cells into the brain. Due to this lack of dopamine, people with ADHD are "chemically wired" to seek more, says John Ratey, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston.