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ADHD in Children and Adults: Diagnosis and Prognosis

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Book cover Behavioral Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Treatment

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 9))

Abstract

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders with childhood onset, having a chronic course associated with high dysfunction and morbidity throughout life. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder, diagnosis of ADHD remains strictly clinical and is based on behavioral symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. In this chapter, we review the diagnostic process and current controversies in the diagnosis of ADHD, discuss the clinical presentation of the disorder across the lifespan, and examine the patterns of comorbidity and the longitudinal predictors of outcomes. We conclude by pointing out some of the challenges that need to be addressed in future classifications systems to improve the characterization and validity of the diagnosis of ADHD.

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Abbreviations

ADHD:

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

APA:

American Psychiatric Association

CD:

Conduct disorder

DSM:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (of Mental Disorders)

ICD:

International Classification of Diseases

ODD:

Oppositional defiant disorder

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ADHD Outpatient Clinic, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Ramiro Barcelos, 2350 - room 2201A, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Renata Kieling & Luis A. Rohde

Authors
  1. Renata Kieling
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  2. Luis A. Rohde
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Correspondence to Renata Kieling .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept of Neurosci, Physiol & Pharmacol, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E6BT, United Kingdom

    Clare Stanford

  2. , Human Development & Applied Psychology, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Edu, Bloor Street West 252, Toronto, M5S1V6, Canada

    Rosemary Tannock

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Kieling, R., Rohde, L.A. (2010). ADHD in Children and Adults: Diagnosis and Prognosis. In: Stanford, C., Tannock, R. (eds) Behavioral Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Treatment. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 9. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2010_115

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