Story Title
About 35% of all children referred to mental health clinics are referred for ADHD. It is one of the most prevalent of all childhood psychiatric disorders. As we mentioned, it affects about 5% of children, about 3% of adults. You may see published estimates stating that ADD may effect as many as 10% to 25% of children in America, but these numbers are not really supported by research data, and are probably inflated. The 5% number is a solid number supported by research. Even at 5% each classroom in America will have one or two (2) ADHD kids in the class. So it is a very real, and very significant problem across America.
The most recent models which attempt to describe what is happening in the brains of people with ADD suggest that several areas of the brain may be affected by the disorder. They include the frontal lobes, the inhibitory mechanisms of the cortex, the limbic system, and the reticular activating system. Each of these areas of the brain are associated with various functions.
The frontal lobes help us to pay attention to tasks, focus concentration, make good decisions, plan ahead, learn and remember what we have learned, and behave appropriately for the situation.
The inhibitory mechanisms of the cortex keep us from being hyperactive, from saying things out of turn, and from getting mad at inappropriate times, for examples. They help us to "inhibit" our behaviors. I've heard it said that 70% of the brain is there to inhibit the other 30% of the brain. When the inhibitory mechanisms of the brain aren't working as hard as they ought to, then we can see results of what are sometimes called "disinibition disorders" such as impulsive behaviors, quick temper, poor decision making, hyperactivity, and so on.
The limbic system is the base of our emotions and our highly vigilant look-out tower. If over-activated, a person might have wide mood swings, or quick temper outbursts. He might also be "over-aroused," quick to startle, touching everything around him, hyper-vigilant. A normally functioning limbic system would provide for normal emotional changes, normal levels of energy, normal sleep routines, and normal levels of coping with stress. A dysfunctional limbic system results in problems with those areas.
The ADD/ADHD might effect one, two, or all three of these areas, resulting in several different "styles" or "profiles" of children (and adults) with ADD/ADHD.
