What Causes ADHD in Children?
- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has only recently come to medical awareness as a medical condition and remains poorly understood. What is least understood is how some children contract it and others do not. Moreover, it appears that there is an unprecedented amount of newly diagnosed ADHD cases in children today, as compared to even 50 years ago. These factors raise questions of genetic, environmental and emotional components in ADHD's makeup.
- Many doctors agree that ADHD arises due to abnormal brain chemistry, as do many other mental conditions. It is thought that ADHD arises due to the brain not producing the neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, responsible for listening and paying attention. Many doctors believe this is so because they notice a dramatic improvement in children who take medicines, called psychostimulants, that produce these neurotransmitters. In addition, Magnetric Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans demonstrate that the areas of the brain that should light up when listening and paying attention do not in children with ADHD.
- Besides biology, ADHD causes can have an environmental component. This has not so much to do with diet (such as eating too much sugar) but stresses at home and school that can exacerbate symptoms. For instance, a vicious cycle often ensues when a child does not pay attention in the classroom and is scolded for it, which causes him to retreat further into his own shell out of guilt and resentment. Moreover, if the child is neglected at home, his behavior can go unchecked and worsen into full-blown ADHD.