Do people with ADHD have different brains?
As per Kerstin Konrad and Simon B. Eickhoff, the exact reason why ADHD develops in children is still poorly understood; however, many researchers have reached the conclusion that brains of people with ADHD are different from those of people who do not have ADHD in the sense that there is regional brain abnormality and dysfunction in distributed network organization. These two researchers have reported the findings of studies that investigated whether ADHD brains are different from normal brains. Many of these studies have compared functional connectivity during resting and task states using diffusor tension imaging. Overall, a conclusion was reached that there is disrupted brain anatomical activity in people with ADHD. These disruptions in different brain regions may be due to both genetic as well as environmental factors, such as low birth weight. In order to lay a basis for future studies, there has to be a deeper understanding of how “cortical networks and their development are specifically altered in one patient group compared to another by cross-syndrome comparisons.”
Does ADHD lead to ASPD and criminal behavior?
Recent research has found that ADHD not only leads to anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, but also personality disorders and even criminal behavior! This is why it is imperative to understand this disorder and be aware about how to treat it if possible. ADHD has a prevalence of 3 to 5% according to Scahill and Stone. This meta analysis aimed to find an association between ADHD and ASPD (Antisocial personality disorder). According to the literature review by multiple researchers, the 18 prospective studies with a sample size of 5501 proved that children who suffer from ADHD not only develop antisocial personality disorder in adulthood, but also CD (conduct disorder), which is characterized by a range of antisocial behavior in adolescence. The most alarming finding is that a correlation was found between ADHD/CD and criminal behavior. Evidence for this is found in the long-term prospective study by researcher Satterfield, who reported that 44% of the ADHD/CD boys who participated in the study were arrested as adults.