“Growing Out” of ADHD?

About 10-15% of children with ADHD continue to have ADHD as an adult. Previously, it was believed that most of these children “grow out” of ADHD as their brains further develop into adulthood. As adults, these people who used to have ADHD no longer meet the criteria for adult ADHD.
New research finds that, although adults who had ADHD as children no longer have symptoms that meet the criteria for ADHD, they still have differences in brain structure. A study examined the memory function and brain size of 20-24 year olds who had been diagnosed with ADHD by the age of 16. Some of these participants still experienced symptoms of ADHD, while some were free from symptoms. Even those participants who no longer met the criteria for ADHD had lower brain volume and poorer memory function than a control group of young adults who had never received an ADHD diagnosis.
This study suggests that a diagnosis of ADHD may go beyond the criteria listed in the DSM-V. Even when a person has “grown out” of ADHD and does not have readily noticeable symptoms, ADHD may affect various cognitive functions and memory. The extent to which lower memory functioning affects the lives of those who have (or had) ADHD is still in question and is next for researchers to tackle.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Differences in brain structure and memory suggest adolescents may not ‘grow out of’ ADHD | University of Cambridge. (2015, August 27). Retrieved from http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/differences-in-brain-structure-and-memory-suggest-adolescents-may-not-grow-out-of-adhd on 3 September 2015.

Photo retrieved from: http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/4ib/KLp/4ibKLpebT.svg on 4 Sept. 2015.