What Causes Adhd And How That Might Be Compatible With A...

MIDTERM TAKE-HOME EXAMINATION (11/01/2014) Dr. Bill Rae-Child Psychopathology 1. A. Please describe the cause of ADHD and how that might be compatible with a medication intervention? Among the many theoretical frameworks proposed to explain ADHD symptoms and causes, psychological and neurobiological perspectives are the most commonly evoked to conceptualize the disorder. Proponents of the psychological perspective are divided into two major groups of theories: top-down theories and bottom-up theories. Top down process emphasize some form of cognitive control, while bottom-up process emphasize motivational or energetic factors. For the present discussion, I will focus on top-down theory of ADHD, given that Barkley’s executive functioning†¦show more content†¦Barkley proposes that ADHD is not a problem with the skills necessary to regulate behavior, and plan ahead, rather, it is a performance problem- children with ADHD have difficulties when performing activities that depend on working memory, and have difficulties with tasks that require attention because they can’t inhibit dominant responses to environment stimuli. There is substantial evidence showing possible neurotransmitter dysfunctions or imbalances in children with ADHD, especially in dopamine pathways, which play a major role in reward-motivated behavior and are involved in motor control behaviors (Volkow et al., 2011). Children diagnosed with ADHD have demonstrated lower levels of dopamine in the brain in comparison to typical children, a difference that could explain their lack of impulse control. For that reason, psychotropic medication such as Ritalin have become the treatment of choice of many doctors and parents alike in order to regulate the dopamine levels in the neurocognitive system of ADHD children. These children tend to respond well to stimulants because they act by changing the availability of dopamine in the brain during synapse, that is, it block the reuptake of dopamine by the neuron from which it was released, and increase the amount of dopamine circulation in the brain. These effects of dopamine may