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William ("Bill") E. Pelham Jr. was a renowned clinical child psychologist who specialized in the assessment and treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bill was born in 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia, to William E. Pelham Sr. and Kittie Copeland Kay, the eldest of four brothers. Bill is most well-known for the development, study, and advocacy of psychosocial treatments for children with ADHD. While at Florida State University in the 1980s, he developed a comprehensive summer treatment program designed to improve family and classroom functioning, strengthen peer relationships, and boost academic achievement. Bill built the case for the behavioral treatment of ADHD over nearly 50 years of programmatic research. Bill was a leader in the field of clinical child psychology. Bill passed away on October 21, 2023, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 33 years Maureen, son William E. Pelham III, and daughter Caroline. His legacy will live on in their work to support children with ADHD and their families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: An early description, possibly the earliest, of attention deficit disorder in a 1753 Dutch medical book by Cornelius Kloekhof is presented., Method: The author of this text is briefly introduced and contextualized. The text is translated from Latin and afterwards, its impact on later scientific literature is discussed., Results and Conclusions: Kloekhofs description of attention deficit was one of the first and thoroughly inspired the subsequent literature, such as Adam Weikard, making this text an important moment in the rich history of ADHD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To provide an overview of Joe Biederman's contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry., Method: Nine colleagues described his contributions to: psychopharmacology, comorbidity and genetics, pediatric bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette's and tic disorders, clinical and neuro biomarkers for pediatric mood disorders, executive functioning, and adult ADHD., Results: Joe Biederman left us with many concrete indicators of his contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry. He set up the world's first pediatric psychopharmacology clinic and clinical research program in child adolescent psychiatry. As a young faculty member he began a research program that led to many awards and eventual promotion to full professor at Harvard Medical School. He was for many years the most highly cited researcher in ADHD. He achieved this while maintaining a full clinical load and was widely respected for his clinical acumen., Conclusion: The world is a better place because Joe Biederman was here., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Stephen V. Faraone: Over the past 3 years, Dr. Faraone received income, potential income, travel expenses, and/or research support from Aardvark, Aardwolf, AIMH, Akili, Arbor, Atentiv, Axsome, Genomind, Ironshore, Johnson & Johnson/Kenvue, Kanjo, KemPharm/Corium, Medice, Noven, Ondosis, Otsuka, Rhodes, Shire/Takeda, Sky Therapeutics, Supernus, Tris, and Vallon. With his institution, he has US patent US20130217707 A1 for the use of sodium-hydrogen exchange inhibitors in the treatment of ADHD. He also receives royalties from books published by Guilford Press: Straight Talk about Your Child’s Mental Health; Oxford University Press: Schizophrenia: The Facts; and Elsevier: ADHD: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions. In addition, he is the program director of www.adhdinadults.com. Dr. Faraone is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 965381; NIMH grants U01AR076092-01A1, 1R21MH1264940, R01MH116037; 1R01NS128535-01; Oregon Health and Science University, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Noven Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, and Supernus Pharmaceutical Company. Jeffrey Newcorn over the past 3 years, has received financial compensation as a consultant, advisory board member, and lecturer from Shire Pharmaceuticals (the study sponsor and manufacturer of the study drug Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine)). Dr. Newcorn also receives financial compensation from other companies which either develop or assess medicines used for the treatment of ADHD. Janet Wozniak, MD receives research support from PCORI, Demarest Lloyd, Jr. Foundation, and the Baszucki Brain Research Fund. In the past, Dr. Wozniak has received research support, consultation fees or speaker’s fees from Eli Lilly, Janssen, Johnson and Johnson, McNeil, Merck/Schering-Plough, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Pfizer, and Shire. She is the author of the book, “Is Your Child Bipolar” published May 2008, Bantam Books. Her spouse receives royalties from UpToDate; consultation fees from Indorsia, Cozen O’Connor, Noctrix, FoxRothschild, Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox, Teladoc Health, Inc., and The International Law Firm of Winston & Strawn LLP; and research support from Merck, NeuroMetrix, American Regent, NIH, NIMH, the RLS Foundation, and the Baszucki Brain Research Fund. In the past, he has received honoraria, royalties, research support, consultation fees or speaker’s fees from: Emalex, Disc Medicine, Avadel, HALEO, OrbiMed, CVS, Otsuka, Cambridge University Press, Advance Medical, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Axon Labs, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Cantor Colburn, Covance, Cephalon, Eli Lilly, FlexPharma, GlaxoSmithKline, Impax, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, King, Luitpold, Novartis, Neurogen, Novadel Pharma, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor, Sunovion, Takeda, UCB (Schwarz) Pharma, Wyeth, Xenoport, and Zeo. Gagan Joshi is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number K23MH100450. In 2023, he receives research support from the Demarest Lloyd, Jr. Foundation as a primary investigator (PI) for investigator-initiated studies. Additionally, he receives research support from Genentech as a site PI for multi-site trials. Dr. Joshi is also a consultant for EuMentis Theraputics. In the past 3 years, he has received speaker’s honorariums from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Physician Institute, Asian College of Neuro-psychopharmacology, Hackensack Meridian Health, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and Kennedy Krieger Institute; he received research support from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. s a site PI for multi-site trial. Through Mass General Brigham Innovation, Dr. Joshi receives royalties from a licensed method for treating autism spectrum disorder. Barbara Coffey receives income, research support, or honoraria payments from: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Emalex, Florida Department of Health, Galen Mental Health, Harvard Medical School /Psychiatry Academy, New Venture Fund, NIMH/NINDS, Partners Healthcare, Skyland Trail, Tourette Association of America, Zynerba. Mai Uchida has received honorarium from American Physicians Institute and Mochida Pharmaceuticals and royalties from the book “Ask The Geniuses About the Future” (Magazine House Publishing) and has consulted to Moderna and Guidepoint. Timothy Wilens receives or has received grant support from NIH(NIDA). Dr. Timothy Wilens has co/edited books: Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids (Guilford Press), ADHD in Adults and Children (Cambridge University Press), Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry (Elsevier), Massachusetts General Hospital Psychopharmacology and Neurotherapeutics (Elsevier), and Update on Pharmacotherapy of ADHD (Elsevier Press). Dr. Wilens has a licensing agreement with Ironshore (BSFQ Questionnaire) and 3D Therapy. Dr. Wilens is Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and (Co) Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He serves as a clinical consultant to U.S. Minor/Major League Baseball, Gavin Foundation and Bay Cove Human Services. Craig Surman has received, in his lifetime, consulting fees from Eisai, Ironshore, Kaylon, Mcneil, NLS Pharma, Neurocentria, Nutricia, Otsuka, Pfizer, Adlon/Purdue, Rhodes, Shire, Somaxon, Sunovion, Supernus, Takeda, and Teva. He has also received payments for lectures for Alcobra, Arbor, McNeil, Janssen, Janssen-Ortho, Novartis, Shire, and Reed/MGH Academy (funded by multiple companies) as well as GME CME (funded by multiple companies). Royalties have been given to Craig B. H. Surman from Berkeley/Penguin for ““FASTMINDS” How to Thrive if You have ADHD (or think you might)” and from Humana/Springer for “ADHD in Adults: A Practical Guide to Evaluation and Management.” Additionally, Dr. Surman has conducted clinical research at Massachusetts General Hospital supported by Abbot, Cephalon, Hilda and Preston Davis Foundation, Eli Lilly, Magceutics/Neurocentria, Jazz, Johnson & Johnson/McNeil, Lundbeck, Merck, Nordic Naturals, Shire, and Takeda. Thomas J. Spencer receives royalties from Cambridge University Press for book publication and from MGH Corporate Licensing for ADHD rating scales, holds a US patent (#14/027,676) for a nonstimulant treatment for ADHD (no license fees), and has a patent pending (#61/233,686) for a method to prevent stimulant abuse (no license fees).

The alkaloid ephedrine derived from Ephedra vulgaris is at the origin of psychostimulant-drugs as amphetamine. These drugs have been principally utilized for medical treatments in the past, while their utilization has been largely reduced from the 1970s when the high risk of addiction and abuse has been recognized. The first reported treatments were as anti-asthmatics and to contrast narcolepsy until their recreational stimulant and anorexic effects were reported. Benzedrine and Pervitin use were of great importance during the Second World War due to their abundant utilization among military troops. Nowadays the use of selective amphetamine-like drugs is limited to ADHD treatment., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an impairing neurodevelopmental condition highly prevalent in current populations. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this paradox, mainly in the context of the Paleolithic versus Neolithic cultural shift but especially within the framework of the mismatch theory. This theory elaborates on how a particular trait once favoured in an ancient environment might become maladaptive upon environmental changes. However, given the lack of genomic data available for ADHD, these theories have not been empirically tested. We took advantage of the largest GWAS meta-analysis available for this disorder consisting of over 20,000 individuals diagnosed with ADHD and 35,000 controls, to assess the evolution of ADHD-associated alleles in European populations using archaic, ancient and modern human samples. We also included Approximate Bayesian computation coupled with deep learning analyses and singleton density scores to detect human adaptation. Our analyses indicate that ADHD-associated alleles are enriched in loss of function intolerant genes, supporting the role of selective pressures in this early-onset phenotype. Furthermore, we observed that the frequency of variants associated with ADHD has steadily decreased since Paleolithic times, particularly in Paleolithic European populations compared to samples from the Neolithic Fertile Crescent. We demonstrate this trend cannot be explained by African admixture nor Neanderthal introgression, since introgressed Neanderthal alleles are enriched in ADHD risk variants. All analyses performed support the presence of long-standing selective pressures acting against ADHD-associated alleles until recent times. Overall, our results are compatible with the mismatch theory for ADHD but suggest a much older time frame for the evolution of ADHD-associated alleles compared to previous hypotheses.

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn , Mark Twain introduced two of the most iconic boys in American literature. Tom and Huck become heroic figures, despite their penchant for bad behaviour. Indeed, it is their propensity to be impulsive, break rules and defy authority that win them the day. Today, however, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn have become the posterboys for a psychiatric disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. I trace how and why attitudes about pathological boys' behaviour reversed during the twentieth century, from a focus on shy, introverted, and physically passive boys to the very opposite - boys like Tom and Huck. I argue that, rather than imposing limits on childhood behaviour, we should be more accepting and encouraging of all types of children.

In his book "Die Geschichte von dem Zappel-Philipp," the German psychiatrist Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894) offers a clinical vignette which raises the question of the description of a disobedient child or presenting hyperactivity symptoms. This article describes the historical context and the biographical aspects related to this interesting approach to describing a psychiatric syndrome to children and adults. It also underlines the importance of a global approach of ADHD that considers the familial environment and situational context of symptoms.

We present an ancient Greek description written by the philosopher Theophrastus in his classic book ' Characters' comparable with modern attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The arguments are based in one chapter of this book-The Obtuse Man-presenting features of a character closely resembling the modern description of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. In a free comparative exercise, we compared Theophrastus descriptions with modern Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. The sentences describing The Obtuse Man written by Theophrastus are similar to several symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and he would probably be currently diagnosed with this disorder as an adult. To our knowledge, this is the oldest description compatible with the current conception of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults in the Western literature. Differently than the moralistic view of ancient Greece regarding those symptoms, the medical attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder conception may be advantageous to patients since it might reduce prejudice and allow individuals to seek treatment.

Presents an obituary of C. Keith Conners (1933-2017) who passed away of heart failure in Durham, North Carolina, on July 6, 2017. Conners was a pioneer in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

The behavior patterns of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention that would ultimately become recognized as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been described for centuries. Nevertheless, in the past 35 years, advances in diagnostic methods, identification of biomarkers, and treatments have advanced at an exponential rate. ADHD is now recognized as the most common behavioral disorder of childhood, with risks extending well into adulthood for both males and females, leading to its identification as a significant public health issue. This historical neuropsychological review of ADHD emphasizes scientific highlights in the past 35 years related to ADHD, including the evolution of the diagnosis (from Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood to ADHD), influential theories (executive functions, cognitive-energetic, delay aversion), landmark treatment studies (Multimodal Treatment of ADHD [MTA] and Preschool ADHD Treatment Study [PATS]), and advances in brain mapping techniques (anatomic, functional, and resting state magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging). The review concludes by highlighting the challenges of studying and treating a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder like ADHD, with emphasis on associated disorders and conditions (learning disabilities, sluggish cognitive tempo), special populations (girls, preschoolers, adults), and recommendations for scientific inquiry in the next 35 years. Neuropsychologists are well positioned to address the clinical and research challenges of the next generation of studies, especially involving advances in understanding the sexual dimor.phism, full developmental course, and dynamic risks associated with ADHD. (JINS, 2017, 23, 916-929).

As a new school year approaches, nurses will find themselves faced with students with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Navigating the diagnostic label changes and numerous psychopharmacological treatment options can prove time-consuming and confusing. The current article explores the early years of symptom identification, various diagnostic labels, and subsequent psychopharmacological treatments from psychostimulants to non-stimulant alternatives (including a prescription medical food). The current article also serves as a discussion guide for nurses and clinicians when providing education to patients and their loved ones, teachers, coaches, and others who may question the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. This disorder can have a significant impact on one's ability to function within family, school, work, and social settings. A historical context is provided for the evolution of today's diagnostic criteria and the pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of ADHD. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(9), 10-16.]., (Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, revised in 1987. Similar disorders had appeared earlier, and many consider the first description of ADHD to be a lecture in 1902 about children with an "abnormal defect in moral control" but normal intelligence. This definition of ADHD is more alarming than the current one. Anne Shirley, the protagonist of the novel Anne of Green Gables (written by Lucy Maude Montgomery and published in 1908), shares the hyperactive and inattentive qualities that fit the current definition of ADHD. She also lacks the menacing characteristics of the 1902 description. This indicates that ADHD, by its modern definition, was probably present in the early 1900s. Furthermore, the character of Anne Shirley shares many biographical similarities with her author, suggesting that Montgomery herself may have had ADHD. Thus, looking at literature from the past not only provides insight into the timeline of ADHD, but also into the thought process of an individual with ADHD. By viewing literary classics through a medical lens, we may gain insight into other diseases as well. [Pediatr Ann. 2017; 46(7):e270-e272.]., (Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.)

The article describes and analyzes the behavioral and neurological aspects that bring together discussions on attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity and outlines some historical conceptual antecedents. Descriptive statements focusing on the behavior of those diagnosed predominate in the behavioral dimension. Etiological explanations, principally on brain function in the neurological dimension are included. The analysis was based on documentary materials such as historical studies, interviews with health professionals in Buenos Aires between 2008 and 2011, specialized publications, psychometric instruments and psychiatric manuals.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder and one of the main diagnoses seen by general paediatricians today. Despite the impression often portrayed in the media, it is not a new condition; in fact it has been described for over 200 years. The past 50 years has seen a progressive increase in our understanding of the underlying neurocognitive deficits in ADHD, and over the past 20 years behavioural genetics and neuroimaging studies have shed light on the complex causal factors and neurobiological processes operating. The plethora of ADHD research has advanced our knowledge of the condition, but so far has had little impact on improving clinical practice. Stimulant medication has been the mainstay of symptomatic treatment for over 30 years; however, it is still unclear how developmental trajectories can be modified to achieve best outcomes. It is hoped that novel therapies and more individualised management will evolve over the coming decades., (© 2015 The Author. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2015 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Hyperactive and inattentive children have been discussed in both the pedagogic and medical literature since the nineteenth century, and many controversies associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been repeatedly analyzed in different contexts. The 'prehistory' of the ADHD concept-that is, up to the definition of ADHD in DSM-III and of the corresponding 'hyperkinetic disorder' in ICD-9-is outlined, with an emphasis on the literature not previously discussed in English language reviews of the subject.

Historical references to the emergence of the current concept of ADHD typically cite descriptions from medical textbooks by Weikard (1775) and Crichton (An inquiry into the nature and origin of mental derangement: Comprehending a concise system of the physiology and pathology of the human mind and a history of the passion and their affects. Cardell Jr and Davies, Londres, 1798) on attention disorders, poems of Hoffman on hyperactive and impulsive behaviors (Der Struwwelpeter. Frankfurt am Main, Literarische Anstalt, 1843), as well as the work of Still (Lancet 1:1008-1012, 1077-1082, 1163-1168, 1902a, Lancet 159(4102):1008-1013, 1902b, Lancet 159(4103):1077-1082, 1902c, Lancet 159(4104):1163-1168, 1902d) on impulsive behaviors and defective moral regulation of behavior. The notion of "instability" developed by French physicians between 1887 and 1910 is rarely mentioned and often ignored. Writings from this period show that in France, the emergence of the concept of ADHD according to modern terminology comes from the notion of "mental instability" introduced in the 1890s under the leadership of Désiré-Magloire Bourneville at the Hospital Bicêtre in Paris, based on his observations of children and adolescents who had been labeled "abnormal" and placed in medical and educational institutions. In the early twentieth century, elaborating on the observations of Bourneville, Jean Phillipe and Georges Paul-Boncour showed the presence of a subgroup of "unstable" children who suffered from a disease entity in its own right within the population of "abnormal" schoolchildren (the terminology of the time). This new pathological entity included symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, corresponding to today's classic triad of ADHD symptoms. While noting the lack of behavioral inhibition, clinical descriptions of Bourneville, Philip and Paul-Boncour also considered the notion of "moral disorder" which at that time played an important role in psychopathology. This resulted in some degree of confusion between impulsive symptoms and major behavioral disturbances often associated with ADHD.

Over the last two decades, there have been numerous technical and methodological advances available to clinicians and researchers to better understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its etiology. Despite the growing body of literature investigating the disorder's pathophysiology, ADHD remains a complex psychiatric disorder to characterize. This chapter will briefly review the literature on ADHD, with a focus on its history, the current genetic insights, neurophysiologic theories, and the use of neuroimaging to further understand the etiology. We address some of the major concerns that remain unclear about ADHD, including subtype instability, heterogeneity, and the underlying neural correlates that define the disorder. We highlight that the field of ADHD is rapidly evolving; the descriptions provided here will hopefully provide a sturdy foundation for which to build and improve our understanding of the disorder.

Objective: The present article reports on the discovery and translation of a chapter in a 1775 medical textbook by the German physician, Melchior Adam Weikard, which describes attention disorders. This article is believed to be the earliest reference to the syndrome that today is known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD., Method: The authors briefly discuss previous efforts to identify the earliest description of ADHD thought to be the lectures of George Still in 1902 and subsequently, the medical textbook by the physician, Alexander Crichton, in 1798. Background is provided on Weikard followed by the English translation of his short chapter on attention deficits and the rationale for why it should be viewed as relevant to the history of ADHD., Results and Conclusions: The authors argue that Weikard's description in 1775 now deserves to be credited with providing the first description of attention disorders in the medical literature known to date.

Research on the neurobiology and pharmacotherapy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown exponentially since 1980. A reasonable question is whether this research has improved our understanding and treatment of ADHD. This article describes relevant developments that took place roughly between 1900 and 1970. During this time, the efficacy of stimulant therapy for the disorder was established and the symptoms of ADHD were linked to many possible nervous system disorders including in the brain-stem, reticular formation, diencephalon, basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex. In 1970, the catecholamine hypothesis of ADHD was proposed. It is concluded that early theories about the neurobiologic basis of ADHD anticipated core ideas of modern theory.

This genealogy of the ADHD subject will demonstrate that over the course of the twentieth century a new relation between power, knowledge, the body, and ethical practices of self-formation emerged around the ADHD-type in ways that are not captured by the received critical perspective. By examining the history of knowledge and practices surrounding the ADHD-type, this work will argue that the deviant subject that was located relative to external institutional moral/juridical values or standards is replaced over the course of the century by a new intelligibility of rational self-management. A further analysis of this emergent intelligibility attempts to advance the critical understanding of the increasingly prevalent ADHD phenomenon by showing how novel drug and brain imaging technologies work to link behaviors to identity, establishing new relations of power to the subject not captured by the received medicalization perspective. This work will be of interest to anybody interested in the relations among knowledge, drugs, power, and the ADHD subject., (© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The concept of ADHD has evolved gradually and still carries some traces of its origins. The idea of uncontrolled behaviour as a medical problem arose in eighteenth and nineteenth century accounts. It raised cultural issues about how far control was expected of children. This article traces the development of ideas with particular references to Hoffman's "Struwwelpeter", Frederick Still's "Disorders of Moral Control", minimal brain damage, and the hyperkinetic syndrome.

As early as 1846, the typical symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were described by Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894). However, in Goethe's masterpiece Faust (1832), the character of Euphorion strongly suggests ADHD diagnosis., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The contemporary concept of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as defined in the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association 2000) is relatively new. Excessive hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive children have been described in the literature since the nineteenth century. Some of the early depictions and etiological theories of hyperactivity were similar to current descriptions of ADHD. Detailed studies of the behavior of hyperactive children and increasing knowledge of brain function have changed the concepts of the fundamental behavioral and neuropathological deficits underlying the disorder. This article presents an overview of the conceptual history of modern-day ADHD.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of having a child diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on the social and emotional well-being of fathers. While mothers have been carefully scrutinized in ADHD-related literature, fathers have been largely excluded from research designs developed to explore the effects of raising a child with ADHD. Prior research has been primarily based on small, clinically referred and homogenous samples, often without comparisons or controls. This research utilizes a nationally representative sample from the 2001 U.S. National Health Interview Survey to determine differences between fathers of children with ADHD and control fathers and to analyze how the ADHD status of the child, problematic behavior, use of medication, and paternal social support influences fathers’ sense of well-being. This research is also designed to determine whether there are child and family contexts in which the effect of ADHD status on paternal well-being is moderated. Contrary to previous findings about the emotional and social burden associated with raising an ADHD child, few differences between fathers were found.

The increasing attention to the brain in science and the media, and people's continuing quest for a better life, have resulted in a successful self-help industry for brain enhancement. Apart from brain books, foods and games, there are several devices on the market that people can use to stimulate their brains and become happier, healthier or more successful. People can, for example, switch their brain state into relaxation or concentration with a light-and-sound machine, they can train their brain waves to cure their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or solve their sleeping problems with a neurofeedback device, or they can influence the firing of their neurons with electric or magnetic stimulation to overcome their depression and anxieties. Working on your self with a brain device can be seen as a contemporary form of Michel Foucault's "technologies of the self." Foucault described how since antiquity people had used techniques such as reading manuscripts, listening to teachers, or saying prayers to "act on their selves" and control their own thoughts and behaviours. Different techniques, Foucault stated, are based on different precepts and constitute different selves. I follow Foucault by stating that using a brain device for self-improvement indeed constitutes a new self. Drawing on interviews with users of brain devices and observations of the practices in brain clinics, I analyse how a new self takes shape in the use of brain devices; not a monistic (neuroscientific) self, but a "layered" self of all kinds of entities that exchange and control each other continuously.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is related to several co-morbidities, such as opposition defiant disorder, conduct disorder, mood and anxiety disturbances, as well as tics and Tourette's syndrome. The objective of this report is to shed an alternative light on the personality of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, discussing whether he might have had ADHD. Several published biographies of Che Guevara were reviewed. Established ADHD criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), were used as a framework to evaluate Che's behaviour. In addition, we compared the main features of Che's reported behaviour to the set of abnormalities leading to the diagnosis of ADHD in adults proposed by Wender and colleagues and known as the UTAH ADHD criteria. Analysis of the most renowned biographies of Ernesto "Che" Guevara suggests that he may have had ADHD.

ADHD is a brain based disorder with structural and functional abnormalities in widespread but specific areas of the brain. The most significant and consistent structural imaging findings include smaller total brain volumes, and reduced volumes in the right frontal lobe, right parietal cortex, caudate nucleus, cerebellar hemispheres, and posterior-inferior lobules of the cerebellar vermis. ADHD involves hypofunction of catecholaminergic circuits, particularly those that project to the prefrontal cortex. A minimum of 18 genes have been reported to be associated with the disorder; among them the DRD4 7-repeat allele has been found associated with a thinner prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex. Epigenetic factors acting during critical periods of prenatal and postnatal development may interact with genetic determinants. Methylphenidate, as well as the catecholaminergic nonstimulant atomoxetine, are effective in improving ADHD symptoms.

Henrik Wergeland (1808 - 45) is one of Norwegian cultural history's most notable figures. He is honoured as a national symbol during this year's 200-year jubilee for his birth. Biographies and numerous academic publications have been written about him for more than 100 years. His life was short and diverse; on one hand he continuously worked to give people general education, he was an author and a poet and on the other hand he was always in a dispute with someone and involved in endless court cases and scandals. After his death it was said that Wergeland was one who <>. As I see it, his life is so full of events that indicate hyperactivity and impulsivity that I think it is legitimate to ask whether he would have received the diagnosis AD/HD (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder) today.

In a seminal article from the early twentieth century, a vivid picture was painted of the psychiatric outcomes of child head injury. Reading this now, the insights to be derived are considerable.

This article traces the historical evolution of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the controversial use of stimulants as a treatment for children diagnosed with the disorder in North America. While the children in question have exhibited similar behaviour over the last century, the diagnostic labels used to identify them have changed due largely to cultural, medical and scientific changes and discoveries. For decades, children's treatment with psychotropic drugs was sufficiently controversial that pharmaceutical companies would not finance research in the area. The only substantial source of research funding for paediatric psychopharmacology in the USA from the 1950s to the 1970s was the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). In 1970, the first in a long-running series of controversies erupted over children's treatment with stimulants.

Recent developments in the field of neuroscience have illuminated the understanding of the neural circuits impaired in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the mechanism of action of treatments used to treat this condition. There is an exciting confluence between emerging studies in basic neurobiology and the genetic, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological analyses of ADHD. The following provides a brief review of this field, explaining how compounds like guanfacine and the traditional stimulant medications can reduce the core symptoms of ADHD by optimizing the neurochemical environment in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Knowledge of these basic mechanisms may inform our medication choices and facilitate treatment of ADHD and related disorders.

Use of medication for treatment of ADHD (or its historical precursors) has been debated for more than forty years. Reasons for the ongoing differences of opinion are analyzed by exploring some of the arguments for and against considering ADHD a mental disorder. Relative to two important DSM criteria - that a mental disorder causes some sort of harm to the individual and that a mental disorder is the manifestation of a dysfunction in the individual - ADHD's classification as a mental disorder is found to be contentiously value-laden. The disagreements spill over to reasoning regarding appropriate management, because justification for a drug prescription is in part predicated on the idea that the drugs manage mental disorders. These debates do not appear to be nearing resolution, so individuals offering advice, or trying to decide whether ADHD drugs are appropriate for themselves or their children, may find it helpful to compare the values underlying various perspectives with their own.