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Definition, Diagnosis and Epidemiology of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

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ADHD, Stress, and Development

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Abstract

Small boy Josef K. involved in the “Trial” of life, 8 years old, who never rests with exception of sleep he still walks, jumps and his hands look like never ending story of irrestible movements frequently unexpected and without a clear purpose. This boy is a typical simple and short example of ADHD with very strongly developed hyperactivity. Case studies like this one and many others are described in historical descriptive studies as well as in current reports on ADHD. Historical descriptions of these symptoms that preceded diagnostic definitions but also current formulations included in basic diagnostic classification systems such as ICD-10, DSM-IV and DSM-V dealing with ADHD are most frequently defined by descriptions of behavioral characteristics which similarly as in other neuropsychological disorders are related to deficits in “executive functions” that enable to control and regulate cognitive processes and “self-control”. In the case of ADHD as a typical developmental disorder these neurocognitive characteristics frequently manifest in various typical ontogenetic stages from early childhood to adulthood, which are mainly related to specific deficits in attentional and executive functions (for example, Hallowell and Ratey 2005; Seidman 2006; Cherkasova et al. 2013).

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  1. Center for Neuropsychiatric Research of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry & UHSL, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Petr Bob & Jana Konicarova

  2. TCM Klinik, Bad Kotzting, Germany

    Jana Konicarova

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Bob, P., Konicarova, J. (2018). Definition, Diagnosis and Epidemiology of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. In: ADHD, Stress, and Development. SpringerBriefs in Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96494-2_1

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