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Previous Volume 340:40-46 January 7, 1999 Number 1 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Despite several name changes over the past 50 years, the current diagnosis of attention-deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shares the core group of symptoms — impulsivity, inattention, and motor restlessness — with earlier terms such as minimal brain dysfunction, hyperactive child syndrome, and attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. The disorder is extremely common, affecting approximately 4 percent of all children, although estimates vary widely, from 3 to 11 percent or more.^1,2 The cause of ADHD remains unknown.

The presentation, although highly variable, is captured in the following vignettes:

The parents of a nine-year-old boy are seeking help because their son is . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Medical Evaluation

Differential Diagnosis and Coexisting Conditions

Additional Evaluations

Treatment

Components of Treatment

            Presentation of Educational Material for the Patient, Parents, and School Personnel

            Behavior-Modification Techniques

            Educational Interventions and Accommodations for Patients with Learning Disabilities

            Social-Skills Training

            Individual Counseling

            Medical Intervention

General Principles of Medical Intervention

Clinical Issues

Adults Presenting without Documentation of Adhd in Childhood

Risk of Substance Abuse

Refusal of Medication

Chronic Tic Disorder and Tourette's Disorder

Treatment Failure

Escalating Use of Stimulants in the United States

Controversial Approaches and Unproven Therapies

Future Directions

Source Information

From the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md. (A.J.Z.), and the Brain Imaging Center, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore (M.E.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Zametkin at Rm. 3N238, Bldg. 10, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892.

References

Related Letters:

Attention-Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder
Diller L. H., Chervin R. D., Robison L. M., Sclar D. A., Skaer T. L., Zametkin A. J., Ernst M.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1999; 340:1766-1767, Jun 3, 1999. Correspondence

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