There May Be 3 Different Types Of ADHD
HuffPost UK • • health
Key Points:
- A recent brain imaging study published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that ADHD, affecting 2.6 million people in the UK, may consist of three distinct biotypes with unique clinical and neural profiles rather than being a single condition.
- Researchers identified three ADHD subtypes: severe-combined with emotional dysregulation, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and predominantly inattentive, based on chemical and structural brain patterns in children.
- Emotional dysregulation in ADHD involves amplified emotional responses, while hyperactivity includes restlessness and difficulty engaging in quiet activities; impulsivity relates to acting without thinking.
- Inattentiveness in ADHD is characterized not by a lack of attention but by difficulty regulating and focusing attention due to multiple competing demands.
