Social and economic impact of ADHD is a matter of great concern to both the national authorities and the adult members of the family. Although many effective methods exist to improve the signs and symptoms of the disorder, scientists have not fully figured out what factors and causes increase the risk or severity of ADHD.
The total number of individuals and families affected by ADHD continues to grow steadily. Current statistical data indicates that approximately 11% of patients under 17 years of age have neurobehavioral disorders. Percentage of adults, adolescents and children with this diagnosis continues to grow.
Understanding common and rare causes of ADHD is one of the solutions that allows reducing the overall morbidity in the population. Identification of factors that may affect the function or development of the brain allows to:
• Improve existing methods of diagnosis.
• Access timely treatment.
• Choose the most effective and safe treatments.
• Forecast the short-term and long-term effects of pharmacotherapy.
• Reduce the financial burden to society and families.
Today, there are many different theories about the causes of ADHD, which sometimes contradict each other. However, most recent studies aimed at understanding the causes of neurobehavioral disorders allocate common disease risk factors.
Scientists continue holding research, yet it was surely found out that heredity is a major cause of morbidity. And this is not surprising. Many mental disorders are inherited, and the ADHD is no exception.
ADHD is not always an inherited neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the genes are a major marker for the identification of the disorder. Due to the large number of research effort, dedicated to this issue, it was found out that:
• Chance of passing the disorder from the biological parents to children exceeds 50%.
• If the patient is diagnosed with the disease, a 35% chance exists that brother or sister also have the disorder.
• If a patient has an identical twin, the likelihood that the twin has the behavioral disorder is about 85%
Genetic or hereditary basis of neurobehavioral disorder is now overwhelming and irrefutable. Earlier, experts assumed that only one gene is responsible for the heredity of the disease. Today, scientists know that there are several such genes.
In addition to heredity, other experts are studying the causes of ADHD in children and adults, including:
• Low birth weight.
• Premature birth.
• Smoking and alcohol before and during the childbearing.
• Illness or accidents.
• Brain injury or disease.
• Impact of the environment.
Scientists and experts agree that there are no identical causes and symptoms of ADHD. However, this disease can be treated. You can buy different types of ADHD meds, the efficacy and safety of which is confirmed clinically and experimentally.
Scientists have confirmed the theory that the genes are the most common cause of ADHD. The list of other factors that can affect the brain functioning is defined, and continues to update.