The brain, which weighs only three pounds and is made up of eighty percent water, is the key organ of our nervous system. It is divided into three different parts: the Cerebrum, the Cerebellum, and the Medulla Oblongata. The “gray matter” of the brain is about one-eighth inch thick and it gives the brain its gray color. Inside the brain is the cortex, which is made up of billions of neurons. These neurons extend into the cerebral hemisphere and it controls all mental activity. In this report I will be discussing different disorders of the brain and how they affect the every day life of people who may have these disorders. (The Volume Library 900)
The first disorder that I will be discussing is a disease called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (A.D.H.D.). This disease has not just been recently discovered. It was first discovered in the eighteen hundreds by a British physician where the first book about Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder was written, “Fidgety Phil.” Up until the 1960’s it was called minimal brain function. Medication is not a new treatment either. In the 1930’s a medication called Dexedrine (d-amphetamine) or Desoxyn (methamphetamine), now known as Ritalin, was used. (Wender, M.D. 15)
This disease is present in three to ten percent of school-aged children and four to five percent in adults. A.D.H.D. is more common in boys than in girls. To determine if a child has A.D.H.D., there are not set psychological or laboratory test but the testimonies of the people who are involved in the patients’ everyday life. However there are certain criteria that can define and diagnose symptoms.
In many cases medication can reduce and to an extent eliminate A.D.H.D. This is true in about seventy percent of school-aged children who have A.D.H.D. and in about sixty percent of adults who are on the medication. Another plus of the medication is that it is not addictive if it is not abused. To reduce the symptoms of A.D.H.D. in adults therapy may also be helpful. Although, the use of medication to treat A.D.H.D. can be very controversial. (Wender, M.D. 9)
Some characteristics of school-aged children with A.D.H.D. are problems in school like math, reading, and spelling because twenty to thirty percent of children have learning disorders. The most common symptom is attention difficulties, distractibility, and hyperactivity. Not all patients of A.D.H.D are hyperactive, therefore a new diagnosis was identified: Attention Deficit Disorder (A.
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). (2004). In The concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.credoreference.com.library.gcu.edu%3A2048%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fwileypsych%2Fadhd_attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder%2F0
Willcutt, E. G., Betjemann, R. S., Pennington, B. F., Olson, R. K., Defries, J. C., & Wadsworth, S. J. (2009). Longitudinal Study of Reading Disability and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications for Education. Mind, Brain, and Education, 181-192.
At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. was $148 billion. According to a new report by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five children suffer from a mental health problem. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a mental illness that is diagnosed mainly in young children and doesn’t always disappear in adulthood.” All we know is that this genetic, inherited condition [ADHD] is not due to brain damage at all but rather a variation in how the brain functions.” Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes symptoms and characteristics that can be placed in one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics commonly leave a person with ADHD with lack of attention span, easily distracted, fidgety, struggling to stay seated, having trouble engaging in calm activities, impatient, and talking excessively or out of turn. A new study by researchers says that hyperactive children have behavioral differences due to under active parts of their brain, a biological malfunction, rather than due to way they were brought up. This was revealed by a magnetic scanning device that allowed researchers to look at the brains of children diagnosed with ADHD. These studies and statistics reinforce the claim that mental illnesses are not invented simply to justify drugging of children and a disease that needs be educated to the public for better understanding. Rather, ADHD is an illness that affects many people throughout their lives. This topic is often misunderstood by the public. The media and medical community need to educate the positive side of this controversy and not just show the opposing view, which often times misrepresented by the media.
In the early eighties, children were being diagnosed with a mental illness that consistently brings them out of focus. The mental illness was later named, ADD or ADHD, and not known as an illness but as a disorder. Soon enough ADD was no longer used for diagnoses and became considered an outdated term among doctors. Therefore, instead of ADD and ADHD being two different types of disorders they are now both claimed as attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Although these two types of deficits have inattention difficulties as the primary symptom, they both can not be combined due to ADD having its own preferences on what makes the child or adult inattentive in day to day situations.
Attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity, is frequently misunderstood, but it affects college students' academic and social success, as well as their emotional development. Attention deficit disorders are the second most common disability among college students, and it is classified as a psychiatric disorder, rather than a learning disability, in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, DSM-IV. Characterized by attention difficulties, specifically short attention spans, as well as impulsivity, distractibility, and restlessness, attention deficit disorders can adversely affect the performance capabilities of college students. Individuals report "drifting" during classroom lectures or social conversations, as well as difficulties focusing in noisy environments.
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. 2005. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Second Encyclopedia.com. The World of War II. 17 May. 2012 http://www.encyclopedia.com Zieman, Gayle and Dewan, Naakeesh A. “Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults”. Relay Clinical Education -.
Many times, ADHD is diagnosed by unqualified people. A parent usually receives a letter from the child’s teacher stating that he or she is exhibiting behavior problems and a meeting is scheduled. At the meeting, the parents are urged to allow faculty to assess the child. A report is then written and the parents take the child and the report to the doctor and the child is given medication, usually a stimulant, to cure the child of his or her illness.
Attention Deficit with hyper activity Disorder commonly known as ADHD is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder usually diagnosed in childhood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavior disorder of childhood. It appears to be more common in boys than it is girls. This Disorder is more common in boys than in girls and approximately five in one hundred children are affected (Busing). There are three subtypes: Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive (most children have the combined type of ADHD)(nimh.nih.gov).The age of onset of ADHD is usually in preschool to early elementary school years.
As a student in the school system, there are many mental conditions that could affect how they perform on a daily basis. One of the most prevalent is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is defined as “a disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity (Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine). There is much research that is currently being done on this subject as it does impact many students in the K-12 system. As of 2011, it was estimated that around 11% of students had been diagnosed with ADHD. While seems like a small amount of students, it equates to about 6.4 million (Data & Statistics). A huge amount of children in school are having trouble focusing in
First, to understand this disease we have to go back to the time when it was first described. In 1798, Scottish doctor, Alexandra Christen described certain symptoms with kids that had difficulty focusing on task which affected their ability to perform well in school. He specifically talked about how certain kids impressions seems to get agitated and gives them unnatural degree of mantel restlessness. Anything discarded them, from simply people walking up and down the room to someone shutting the door. Alexander Christen was thinking ahead of this time and set the tone for next researchers to expand and look deeper in what is later today called ADHD ( Thehistoryofadahd.com ).
Over the past couple of years there has been a vast increase in the number of Americans suffering from ADHD. ADHD has become a hot topic of discussion for the public resulting in rising attention and concern. The way health professionals go about treating and making sure they properly treat patients suffering from ADHD is by thoroughly assessing the patient. As this disorder became more known, it resulted in more parents becoming more aware and realizing that their student’s poor performance in school or behavioral problems might not be intentional.
The neurological disorder is generally diagnosed in children aged between six and twelve years, the condition affecting boys three times more often than girls (Hamilton, 2002; Gardner, 2008). Despite the fact that DCD affects roughly 6.4 percent of children, few individuals are familiar with the condition (Hamilton, 2002). In fact, a study by Kirby, Davies, & Bryant (2005) revealed that only 54.3% of teachers and 26.7% of general practitioners could accurately define DCD (p. 124). In response, the condition will be briefly outlined here.
There are many diseases and disorders that may affect the human mind. Some of these are serious, while others are minor and may not even be noticed. Some of the disorders and diseases to be covered in this report are delirium, dementia, and schizophrenia, also a discussion of specific symptoms and treatments available for the different disorders.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder also known as ADHD, is one of the most common childhood psychological disorders and can continue through adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed in 6-7% of children. The rate of diagnosis is similar between countries. Although is it not known why boys are about three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD.