In the introduction, scientists claim that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common clinical forms of attention disorders. In this article, special attention is paid to a detailed analysis of the neuropsychological mechanisms of ADHD, the study of the deficit of working memory, the deficit of activation and neurodynamic components. The review of existing clinical data on the prevalence of ADHD, the main symptoms, types and subspecies of this syndrome is carried out. The interpretation by other scientists about the specifics of the morphological structure of the cerebral cortex, neuropsychological changes noted in this type of disorders is considered. In this regard, it seems relevant to scientists to cover the problem of ADHD taking into account age-related neuropsychology, which will enable a more complete understanding of the symptoms and causes underlying the disease.
This study uses an empirical method, namely observation of patients with ADHD. Diseases associated with the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder primarily include diseases of the central nervous system. Hyperactivity can be associated with such mental disorders as various tics, Tourette’s syndrome, which are characterized by the presence of involuntary, uncontrolled movements, utterances, etc. For this reason, it was necessary to identify the presence of other psychiatric problems in the respondents; the sample consisted of 199 adults diagnosed with ADHD. To establish the relationship between neuropsychological abnormalities and the disease, the presence of concomitant psychiatric problems should have been determined.
In the majority of the studied adult patients with ADHD, cognitive impairments associated with impaired neuropsychological processes were indeed revealed. Nevertheless, in the group of respondents who did not suffer from ADHD, psychiatric diseases were observed with an identical frequency. For example, Tourette’s syndrome was combined with attention deficit disorder in 50% of cases. However, ADHD could either precede the appearance of clinical signs of Tourette’s syndrome, or develop simultaneously with them. In schizophrenia, the acute onset, the unstable nature of hyperactivity and attention disorders indicated the presence of ADHD. Nevertheless, among the patients with this disease there were an equal number of people suffering and not suffering from ADHD.
Concomitant ADHD behavioral disorders and emotional disorders are considered as unfavorable prognostic factors for the long-term course of ADHD. Although the results of the study showed their widespread prevalence in ADHD, there was no direct link between the violation of neuropsychological patients and psychiatric diseases. However, the authors conclude that the presence of comorbid disorders can lead to a worsening of the clinical manifestations of ADHD. They can worsen the long-term prognosis and reduce the effectiveness of the main therapy for ADHD. In this regard, behavioral and emotional problems can be associated with both the direct influence of ADHD and comorbid disorders. They also need to be diagnosed in a timely manner and regarded as indications for appropriate treatment.
The efforts of specialists should be aimed at identifying not only ADHD in adults, but also comorbid psychiatric disorders. Treatment tactics should be determined individually, taking into account the severity of the main symptoms of ADHD and the presence of comorbid disorders. When choosing the means of pharmacotherapy, preference should be given to those drugs that, when prescribed in the form of monotherapy, have a positive effect on both the main manifestations of ADHD and concomitant emotional, behavioral and other disorders. For example, drugs belonging to the groups of tranquilizers and antidepressants are used to treat anxiety disorders. However, many of them cause undesirable effects that limit their use in ADHD.