Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This was written by Mitchell A Fleisher, MD and published in Vitamin Research News.

ADHD is a syndrome characterized by inability to focus attention and/or periods of hyperactivity, more commonly exhibited in children, but also affecting adults as well. The term "attention deficit" may be misleading, in that the current theories suggest ADHD patients actually have difficulty: 1) regulating their attention spans; 2) inhibiting their attention to non-relevant stimuli; and/or, 3) focusing too intensely on specific stimuli to the exclusion of what is relevant. Rather than diminished attention ability, many individuals with ADHD may focus their attention upon too many things at once, i.e., not "see the forest 'fore the trees," resulting in poor concentration, erratic thought processes and decreased intellectual productivity.