The course and outcome of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Eric Mick, Stephen V. Faraone, Joseph Biederman, Thomas J. Spencer

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

This review details the history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and examines the current longitudinal studies of ADHD that have followed children into adolescence or adulthood. These longitudinal follow-up studies have been hampered by the changing diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Initiated decades ago, such studies have provided much information regarding the course of the disorder but cannot definitively document the rate of persistence of ADHD because they were heavily influenced by the diagnostic requirement of hyperactivity. According to recent work examining the impact of symptom expression, symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity tend to subside earlier than symptoms of inattention, such that the persistence of the disorder into adolescence or adulthood may depend largely on continuing symptoms of inattention. Furthermore, subjects with a remitting course or a residual form of the disorder may continue to present with functional impairments. Thus, criteria for defining persistence of ADHD may need refinement in order to diagnose ADHD in individuals with more mature levels of development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)42-48
Number of pages7
JournalPrimary Psychiatry
Volume11
Issue number7
StatePublished - Jul 2004
Externally publishedYes

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