Toward Understanding the Basis of ADHD -- Volkmar 162 (6): 1043

-- American Journal of Psychiatry:

Fred Volkmar, M.D.

Difficulties in attention associated with impulsive behavior and overactivity are common presenting problems in both preschool and school-age children and are the cardinal features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Over time there have been significant changes in definition that have helped to clarify important aspects of the condition (1). In turn, research on potential mechanisms has also become increasingly sophisticated. Although the etiology of the condition is likely heterogeneous, a substantial body of research has implicated a range of neurobiological factors, including genetic ones (2). Follow-up studies have demonstrated the persistence of difficulties into adulthood in many cases, and a body of work on the manifestations of the disorder in adults has now appeared (3).