ATTENTION DEFICIT/ HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: CONCEPTUALIZATION FROM THE FIRST DESCRIPTIONS TO THE 5TH EDITION OF DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDER

Abstract

Introduction:Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder that is found in approximately 5% of the school – age population worldwide [56]. From the first description of the ADHD like behaviors in 1775, [15] conceptualizations of the disorder have evolved greatly over time, reflecting the developments on different field of research. Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe briefly the evolution of the concept of ADHD focusing on today conceptualization of the disorder from the perspective of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) [7]. Method: Review of scientific articles (written in English language) from MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO, for the period 1900 – 2018. Results: Overall, the clinical descriptions have remained remarkably consistent in their essential features over the past century and longer. Research employing factor analysis has repeatedly identified two distinct yet substantially correlated behavioral dimensions underlying the various behavioral symptomsthought to characterize ADHD demonstrating stability over time [72]. Instability of subtypes of DSM-IV, along with shortcomings identified for developmentally appropriate presentation and symptom cut-off, age of diagnosis and demonstrated impairment fueled the refinement of diagnostic criteria for ADHD in DSM-5. Conclusion: The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria represent the best consensusof experts in the field. Nevertheless, the criteria have not escaped controversy and are not without limitations. Research must focus at identifying more heterogeneous traits of the disorder.