Hyperactive children do not really have

The diagnosis of ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - always was. Recently, however, more and more doctors diagnosed his young children and to prescribe psychotropic drugs treat the syndrome. Some scientists believe that in many cases it is totally unreasonable.

Sweden has sounded the alarm: The statistics showed that in 4 years in the country to 100% increase in the number of children taking psychotropic medications prescribed by physicians in the diagnosis of ADHD. Out of every thousand young Swedes under the age of 17 years regularly cure hyperactivity take fourteen.

At first glance these statistics there are objective circumstances: pediatricians suggest that in recent years has really increased the number of   hyperactive children . In Russia, for example, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder   credited with almost every third child. But not all researchers share this view. Just two studies conducted in Germany and Switzerland have forced scientists to talk about the fact that the very existence of such a neurological disorder - more myth than truth.

German psychiatrist Sylvia Schneider and Jürgen Margraf of Bochum's Ruhr University and Dr. Catherine Bruchmuller from the University of Basel have turned to thousands of children's therapists to offer a diagnosis of the detailed description of the symptoms. And, accordingly, to recommend treatment.

Among the symptoms of the organizers of the experiment indicated purpose as clear signs of hyperactivity in compliance with all the criteria of the "Guidance on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders" and "International Classification of Diseases," and deliberately evasive and vague. The result: in ambiguous cases, 16, 7% of doctors still diagnosed in children with ADHD. At the same time most of the children's therapists "get" the boys. It turned out that the boys - even if the symptoms do not fit into the classic - physicians (especially men) to 2 times more often diagnosed with hyperactivity than girls.

In another case, the US neyrofizilog Damien Fair and psychiatrist Joel Nigg examined adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and without. "Health" and "sick" compared on a number of parameters: the ability to understand and remember information, to focus, to separate information signal from the noise, etc. The results showed that children with a bad diagnosis on the whole do not differ, and in some respects even surpass the "healthy". Researchers questioned the actual existence hyperactivity and attention deficit . According to them, it is only the fruit of medical fashion.

For reference:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - neurological and behavioral developmental disorder that begins in childhood. Manifested by symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsivity poorly managed.

ADHD and its treatment causes many disputes beginning since 1970. The existence of ADHD doubts number of physicians, teachers, politicians, parents and the media. Some people believe that ADHD does not exist, others believe that there are genetic and physiological causes of this condition - neurological problems, complications of pregnancy and childbirth unfavorable ecological situation.

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