Hyperkinetic Impulse Disorder in Childrenʼs Behavior Problems

The history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…This was possibly due to the wide influence of psychoanalysis at that time (Rothenberger and Neumärker 2005) and the assumption that behavioral disorders have no biological basis and require psychological interventions (Brown 1998). However, further investigations into this issue, for example by Laufer et al (1957), produced growing interest in stimulant treatment of hyperkinetic children (Rothenberger and Neumärker 2005). At present, stimulant medication is the most frequently used treatment of children with ADHD (Wender 2000/2002).…”

“…Most symptoms described in this context meet the current DSM-IV-TR criteria, and the concept of minimal brain damage can be regarded as historical antecedent to ADHD. Laufer et al (1957) describe the following characteristics of the syndrome:It has long been recognized and accepted that a persistent disturbance of behavior of a characteristic kind may be noted after severe head injury, epidemic encephalitis and communicable disease encephalopathies, such as measles, in children. It has often been observed that a behavior pattern of a similar nature may be found in children who present no clear-cut history of any of the classical causes mentioned.…”

Emotional dysregulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…It has been recognized for many years, however, that many children with ADHD exhibit low frustration tolerance and explosive behavior (Laufer et al 1957) and, increasingly, there are calls to re-assess the characteristics of emotional impulsiveness and deficient emotional self-regulation as core features, rather than simply associated aspects of the disorder (Barkley 1997a, 2010). Indeed, the childhood manifestations of emotional dysregulation are important criteria of the Wender Utah Rating Scale used in the diagnosis of adult ADHD (Ward et al 1993).…”

An Ultraconserved Brain-Specific Enhancer Within ADGRL3 (LPHN3) Underpins Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Susceptibility

“…While YY1 downregulation did not affect ADGRL3 expression in neuroblastoma cells, the rs2271338 risk allele was associated with reduced expression in the adult thalamus. The thalamus was one of the earliest brain areas considered in the pathophysiology of ADHD (77) due to its key role in filtering information and stimulus processing (78). Morphological abnormalities of the thalamus (79) and thalamic volume reduction (80) have been demonstrated previously in children with ADHD.…”