Study finds ADHD ‘not all in your head’
AN AUSTRALIAN researcher has brought together evidence to show ADHD is a real medical condition and not simply children misbehaving.
James Cook University's Dr Helen Boon said some teachers and parents did not believe the behavioural disorder was a genuine condition.
"International surveys indicate that many teachers are ambivalent about recognising ADHD as a real disease," she said.
Dr Boon surveyed 174 neuro-imaging studies involving MRI scans that compared the brain function of people diagnosed with ADHD against a control group.
She said the ADHD group was found to have significant neural anatomical and processing differences.
"The brain circuitry in someone with ADHD is different from someone without - no question," she said.
Dr Boon said there was still some question over whether abusive parenting could cause physical changes in young brains and lead to the development of ADHD.
