Do I Have ADHD? Diagnosis of ADHD in Adulthood and Its Mimics in the Neurology Clinic

Summary & key facts

ADHD is a lifelong brain-development condition that makes it hard to keep attention, plan and organize, control impulses, be still, or manage emotions. Some people are diagnosed as children, while others first seek diagnosis as adults when life becomes less structured or family members recognize the pattern. Many other problems — like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, pain, medications, and life stress — can look like ADHD, so doctors use detailed histories, examples of real-life symptoms, and adult-adapted DSM-5 criteria to tell them apart. Medicines, especially stimulants, often work within minutes to hours and can improve work, home life, and relationships, and nonstimulant options ar

Key facts:

• ADHD is described as a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that usually first appears in childhood and affects attention, executive function, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and/or emotional regulation.
• Many other conditions can cause similar attention problems in adults, including anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, sleep problems, pain/fatigue, medications, and external stressors such as work or relationship strain.
• Clinical screening tools for adult ADHD are widely available online, and many adults who seek evaluation have already used these scales before seeing a doctor.
• Diagnosis in adults relies on a detailed clinical history, asking for specific examples of each symptom, and using the DSM-5 criteria adapted for adults to help distinguish ADHD from other causes.
• Stimulant medications for ADHD often show an effect within minutes to hours, can be adjusted by dose or by day, and are generally well tolerated in adults; nonstimulant medication options also exist.
• There is a known gender and historical bias: girls (especially with inattentive-type ADHD) were less likely to be evaluated in childhood, and many people born before about 1980 had limited awareness of ADHD, which contributes to later adult
• The article reports that identifying and treating ADHD can be life-changing for some adults, including increasing productivity, reducing anxiety and impulsive behaviors, and improving interpersonal and community relationships.

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that causes difficulties with sustained attention, executive functioning, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and/or emotional regulation. Although many people are diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, others seek diagnosis in adulthood. Many adults have already reviewed available clinical scales or screening tools for ADHD and are referred for evaluation of attention problems by their primary care providers. Key features of the history and examination in a clinic visit can differentiate ADHD from other causes of attention problems in adults. Treatment with stimulant or nonstimulant medications for ADHD can be life-changing for adults with ADHD, increasing productivity at home and work, reducing anxiety and impulsive behaviors, and improving interpersonal and community relationships. This article aids neurologists in differentiating ADHD from other causes of attention and executive functioning problems in adults and in initiating treatment.

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Children's Physical and Motor Development

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Audiology Medicine Neurology Psychiatry Psychology