The hyperactive Child: diagnosis, assessment and treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent neurobehavioral disorder in school age children.The ways in which this disorder manifests itself vary and the symptoms must be given attention to whenever they impair the childs school work and its emotional and social balance. Goal: To carry out an ADHD literature review, highlighting aspects that refer to epidemiology, etiopathogeny, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, evaluation, comorbilities and differential diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and prognosis. Methods: The Medline and Pubmed databases were researched for articles and review articles published until December 2007. 45 articles were included in this review. A documental research was also conducted in reference works. Conclusions: ADHD is a chronic behavioral disorder that can significantly affect ones lifelong academic, familiar, emotional, social and professional performances. A careful evaluation allows for the diagnosis, which is mainly of a clinical nature and based on behavioral criteria. Seldom is there an indication for complementary diagnosis exams. Other associated disorders are a risk factor towards a less positive evolution, and potential comorbilities must be considered.The therapeutic intervention must be individualized and the approach must be multidisciplinary, including, for the majority of cases, behavioral modifications and a resort to psychoactive substances.Various factors have an influence on the evolution, and the prognosis is not always favorable. This literature review intends to contribute to the clearing up of the inclusiveness of a prevailing pathology that is often under- diagnosed and underestimated.