Essay, Research Paper: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a very common disorder in school age children. It is a disorder that is commonly over diagnosed to children and is often confused with “normal child behavior.” At a young age, children are often very active, impulsive, and there attention span is minimal, but this is often mistaken for ADHD. There are many signs to look for, and many ways in dealing with a child with ADHD. If this disorder is not detected and treated early, it can lead into many adulthood downfalls which can greatly effect one’s life.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is categorized as a chemical imbalance in the frontal portion of the brain. Scientists have researched the chemical imbalances of ADHD children and have found that certain neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain that permit nerve cells to transmit information to other cells, are deficient in children with ADHD. The studies on the brain have shown that the brain activity of an ADHD child and the brain activity of a normal child is relatively lower in the frontal area of the brain in the ADHD child. The frontal area is where the neurotransmitters are decreased causing the hyperactivity. This chemical imbalance can be helped by stimulant drugs that are known as neurotransmitters and they can temporarily improve the behavior of the children. These medications are often known as Ritalin or Dexedrine. These stimulants increase the amount of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, which in turn, level the amounts of the chemicals in the brain decreasing hyperactivity.


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