Attention Deficit Syndrome. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

The nature of each child has its own characteristics. One likes to sit quietly in the corner and read, while the other prefers noisy games with friends. But everything has a limit, so at some point moms too playful children can hear about attention deficit and hyperactivity. Should I be scared?

ADHD - what is it?

Children scamper - this is known to every mother. But excessive activity can have under itself and some medical reasons. Attention Deficit Disorder in children of primary school age is called a complex of certain symptoms that prevent them from successfully mastering knowledge. Such guys are impulsive, constantly distracted, and concentration on one task for them is a very big problem.

Modern science believes that this is a disease that has some causes. In the United States and Canada, the classification of psychiatric diseases is used for diagnosis. But do not be scared immediately and think that doctors in this case will try to transfer the child to a specialized school. As a rule, there are no grounds for this. However, completely ignoring this state is also not worth it - the absence of any measures can have further consequences such as problems with normal integration into society, deterioration in academic performance, and then complexes, bad relations with parents and teachers, etc. . Fortunately, there have long been methods of correcting this feature, including medications.

History of the syndrome

For the first time a description of the condition, reminiscent of attention deficit and hyperactivity, was found in the records of the German psychiatrist Henry Hoffmann-Donner, dated 1846. However, it was done not in a scientific journal, but only in a children's book dedicated to the son of a scientist.

The first official mention of this condition was made in 1902 by the English pediatrician George Steele, who observed children with behavioral problems, including a tendency to excessive mobility and destructive activity. It was he who suggested that this was not a bad upbringing, but a dysfunction of the central nervous system. From that moment, active study of ADHD began. What it is is not entirely clear to this day.

By the middle of the twentieth century, excessively agile and scattered children began to be diagnosed with "minimal cerebral dysfunction," but in the early 1980s, from this rather broad concept, "attention deficit disorder" was singled out separately. Treatment was also found, but it should be discussed separately.

Varieties

In 1990, a classification was proposed that, at first glance, identifies two diametrically opposite manifestations of the same state. Conventionally they were called HD and ADD. The first group included motorized disinhibited children with poor concentration of attention, impulsive and difficult to control their behavior. In other patients, on the contrary, hypoactivity, lethargy, rapid fatigue and loss of concentration are observed.

Prevalence

It is difficult to talk about the relevance of the problem related to attention deficit disorder, since there are no single standards for diagnosis. In different countries, there are very different figures: in the USA - 4-13%, in Germany - 9-18%, in Russia - 15-28%, in the UK - 1-3%, in China - 1-13% Etc. This does not take into account adults with similar problems, so that the real statistics can be even more impressive. It is also noted that among girls this problem is much less common than among boys. In the latter, ADHD is diagnosed 3 times more often.

Symptoms

In the scientific literature, up to 100 different forms of manifestation, characteristic of ADHD, are identified. But the main thing remains that: the reduced concentration of attention, hyperactivity and propensity to destructive activity. As already mentioned, lethargy and general hypotension can also talk about one of the varieties of this problem. Also, in general, memory impairments, obsessive movements, lack of self-care skills and development of fine motor skills, lack of independence, impulsiveness, sudden and frequent mood changes, increased irritability and excitability can also occur. In any case, having noticed that the behavior of the child differs sharply from that and how almost all of its peers do, you can and even need to consult a doctor, at least for your own peace of mind.

Causes

If earlier the reasons for this behavior were explained by gaps in upbringing, in recent years they began to talk about the fact that attention deficit hyperactivity may result from the development of the organism, namely, the nervous system. The fact is that the brain continues to form after the birth of the child. Moreover, the most active period of his work falls on the second-fifth years of life. Of course, this process continues later, but for all the maturation of the central nervous system occurs at different times.

On the other hand, monitoring children with ADHD showed that they, especially in the ADD-type, in the process of the intense decision of any task, reduces the blood circulation of the frontal lobe of the brain. And the stronger the child tried to concentrate on the task, the more pronounced the decline. Another hypothesis is related to the transfer of intrauterine hypoxia, which responded years later in this way. There is also a theory explaining this condition by the violation of catecholamine metabolism. Someone even believes that this feature is inherited, arguing that this is a characteristic change in the structure of genes. However, despite the various assumptions, the exact answer to the question "ADHD - what is this" in terms of pathogenesis is still a mystery.

Diagnostics

As already mentioned, attention deficit disorder can mean a variety of symptoms. And since no signs of the disease, except for behavioral problems, is not yet revealed, physicians are forced to rely on extremely unstable soil. There is no uniform methodology for diagnosing, in the US and Canada, their questionnaires are used, and in the Old World - their own. At the same time, part of the criteria in both cases can correspond to the behavior of a perfectly healthy, but, for example, extremely scattered child. Characterization of preschool age is quite confirms this: the formation of personality can occur completely differently, so that the diagnosis should be carried out by a very competent and experienced specialist.

However, some questionnaires in case of doubt it can not do. In the diagnosis of ADHD, tomography, electroneuromyography and emission spectrometry, as well as virtually all familiar EEG, electroencephalography, are used. All this helps to better study the conditions in which there is a lack of attention.

Treatment

Methods for correcting the state of hyperactivity and attention deficit are divided into medicamentous and others. The former are mostly used abroad, the second many Russian mothers who do not want to stuff the child once again with medications are usually much closer. Parents in Europe and America, on the contrary, usually use non-drug methods only when drugs are powerless.

Most often the doctor selects a set of drugs from groups of psychostimulants, tranquilizers, tricyclic antidepressants and nootropics. In international practice, two drugs have proved effective in the treatment of ADHD: Ritalin and Amitriptyline and their analogues.

Non-drug therapy also has success with its correct and consistent application. First of all, it is necessary to revise the child's way of life from the point of view of his social circle and activities. Games are better to choose calm, without a strong emotional component, and partners for them - balanced and unperturbed. Successfully applied and psychotherapy, during which there is a correction of the child's attitude to learning, environment. Beneficial effect on ADHD activities, contributing to relaxation and withdrawal anxiety. In certain situations, family therapy will not be superfluous - as studies show, the diagnosed attention deficit disorder in children increases the risk of depression in mothers by about 5 times.

Despite the fact that both approaches are good in their own way, the best results are still achieved through their combination.

Prevention

Not knowing the real reasons that cause children's attention deficit, it is difficult to talk about measures to prevent it. Of course, it makes sense for future mothers to carefully monitor their condition, and after childbirth - for the development of the child. Many neurologists believe that the symptoms of ADHD can be noticed in about 3-5 years, and sometimes even in the first year of life. Since the discovery of these signs, you can begin correction according to non-drug treatment methods - they will not harm any child in any case. It is only necessary to remember that children with attention deficit have a rather peculiar brain function: after 3-5 minutes of activity, he needs a breather.

Forecast

As a rule, teenage age with attention deficit disorder is somehow eliminated. But this does not mean that ADHD does not require treatment and goes by itself. His ignoring is fraught with, if not neurological, then psychological problems. By the age of 14-15, a child can get low self-esteem, gaps in knowledge, lack of friends. Considering the fact that during this period he will go through a difficult time for himself, a kind of crisis, there is no point in leaving the manifestations of ADHD without attention, because this can greatly complicate further social adaptation. In addition, studies show that in 30-70% of cases, those or other clinical symptoms of the syndrome are observed and in older age.

Disorders in adults

Yes, this happens not only with children. Contrary to popular belief, ADHD is no longer a characteristic of preschool age or adolescence, this diagnosis can be applied to an adult. Doctors are still reluctant to admit this, writing off the disorganization, forgetfulness and constant delay in the warehouse of character and lack of willpower. But, as already mentioned, in 30-70% of cases in children diagnosed with ADHD these or other problems will be observed later.

The features of the activity in the older age, however, leave their imprint, so that violations of attention can not be expressed quite like a child:

• "Hang" during the execution of the case or conversation;
• Violation of concentration of attention;
• Difficulties in focusing on the task;
• Poor auditory memory, problems with reproduction of information received in oral form;
• The tendency to ignore details, even important ones.

There is another side of the coin. Sometimes people with ADHD can fall into a so-called superconcentration state. At the same time, focusing on one thing can make people forget about time and other things. As for hyperactivity, as a rule, in adults it is much less pronounced.