Study suggests that adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder show differences in brain structure and function

New research from the University of Cambridge, UK and the University of Oulu, Finland suggests that features of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may continue into adulthood, despite sufferers no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. The findings were published recently in the journal European Child Adolescent Psychiatry. ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood or early adolescence, and is characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although much is understood about the disorder in childhood, little rigorous evidence exists concerning the persistence of the disorder into adulthood, despite some estimates indicating that 10–50% of children with ADHD may carry it into...