ADHD DISORDER 2
Running head: ADHD DISORDER
ADHD Disorder
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Introduction
Mental health affects the day-to-day activities of individuals which involve relationships, career, self-esteem, and their ability to communicate among others. A psychiatric disorder is a medical problem that involves changes in thinking, behavior, emotion, and distress. In other words, psychiatric disorder is a mental problem or rather a mental health disorder. There are various types of psychiatric disorder, and one of them is Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The ADHD disorder is a type of mental health disorder of the neurodevelopmental type. When an individual is faced with difficulty in paying attention as well as not able to control his or her impulsive behaviors, it is necessary to seek medical help since those are some of the symptoms that are associated with ADHD disorder. According to various researchers, they suggest that ADHD disorder can be caused by different interactions between genes and the environment as well as non-genetic factors. Some of the factors that contribute to this disorder include cigarette smoking, the use of drugs as well as alcohol during pregnancy, brain injuries, low birth weight, and exposure to harmful environments with high levels of lead at a young age among other factors (Gromisch, 2011). Some of the warning signs include difficulty in paying attention, acting without thinking, and being overactive.
In terms of neurotransmitter and receptor theories, ADHD disorder can be explained according to the three subtypes of ADHD which vary in the various symptoms associated in every subtype. One of the subtype is the inattentive type where an individual with this type of ADHD disorder has at least six of the following symptoms and few of hyperactive, impulsive type: difficulty in paying attention to detail, carelessness, not able to pay attention, unable to concentrate, difficulty in following or understanding instructions, avoiding roles that involve effort, easily amused, very forgetful, and lastly losing things needed to fully finish roles (Gromisch, 2011). The other type is the hyperactive-impulsive where the patient has at least six symptoms and a few of inattentive type. The hyperactive-impulsive type has at least six of the symptoms and few of the inattentive type. A patient with combined ADHD subtype has six or more signs of both inattention and impulsiveness.
It is important to understand that the three subtypes of ADHD disorder have various levels of neurotransmitters which adjust their behavior. ADHD individuals have diversity on the transporter genes for these neurotransmitters. Individuals with inattentive ADHD disorder have changes in their norepinephrine transporter gene. The change in the norepinephrine transporter gene affects the level of norepinephrine in the brains of these individuals. Patients with hyperactive-impulsive ADHD have changes in their dopamine transport gene (Gromisch, 2011). This affects the level of dopamine levels in the patient’s brain.
While treating ADHD neurotransmitters in the market, some of the stimulants used to increase dopamine to block its transporter include Ritalin and Adderall. Nonstimulants like Strattera are used to increase norepinephrine to help block its transporter. For individuals with combined ADHD, they tend to have altered transporter genes for a different neurotransmitter. These patients with combined ADHD disorder have spiked choline transporter gene. The herald to choline is acetylcholine which affects audiovisual communication like norepinephrine and dopamine (Gromisch, 2011). Medically, there are no medications for ADHD that target this neurotransmitter in the market.
There is various symptomology of ADHD disorder. There are three groups of symptoms of ADHD disorder which include inattention, hyperactivity, and lastly impulsivity. Inattention symptoms include procrastination, not completing tasks, lack focus and frequently moving from one uncompleted task to another. Hyperactivity symptoms involve getting up intermittently to walk or run around and talk extremely among other signs (Friedman & Rapoport, 2015). Impulsivity symptoms include impatience and having a hard time waiting to talk or react among others.
There are various anatomic changes seen with the ADHD disorder. In children with ADHD, researchers have found the presence of smaller than normal volumes of white matter in different parts of the brain (Sinn, 2007). The brains of children with ADHD disorder, several parts of their brain had lower fatty acid value compared to the normal controls. ADHD is mostly described as chemical imbalance, but some researchers claim that there may be subtle anatomical differences in parts of the brain that are important in this disorder.
Conclusion
The number of individuals which include both adults and children being diagnosed with ADHD disorder keeps on increasing hence the need for people to be educated on this mental disorder. Managing the symptoms of this disorder is challenging for not only those living with the disorder but also for parents and caregivers. It is important for individuals experiencing the various symptoms of ADHD disorder which include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity to seek medical attention. This will help them regulate this mental disorder for them to live a better life.
References
Gromisch, E. S. (2011). Consolidation. In the Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology (pp. 688-690). Springer, New York, NY.
Sinn, N. (2007). Physical fatty acid deficiency signs in children with ADHD symptoms. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids, 77(2), 109-115.
Friedman, L. A., & Rapoport, J. L. (2015). Brain development in ADHD. Current opinion in neurobiology, 30, 106-111.