ADHD Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods & Tools- OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases: Brain & Nervous System

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods/Tools

ADHD is generally diagnosed during childhood or adolescence with no diagnostic laboratory test for confirming the disorder. Complete medical examination is not only essential but also necessary to identify the related conditions of ADHD in order to treat the same. The most important diagnostic tool is the clinical interview.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder affects people of all ages but is usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. There is no diagnostic laboratory test for ADHD.

A thorough medical examination is important to identify other conditions that may be responsible for symptoms that coexist with ADHD and require treatment.

Hearing and vision assessments should be included in the examination. The most important diagnostic tool is the clinical interview.

Clinical interview includes evaluation of signs and symptoms; family history; home environment; academic, social and emotional functioning; and developmental level. Various types of evaluative rating scales are provided to patients, parents and teachers in order to sort out the symptoms of ADHD (10).

Various psychological tests are used to diagnose ADHD; The Conners' Parent and Teacher Rating Scale (for children) and the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (BADDS) for teens and adults are useful tools for diagnosis of ADHD.

Impulsivity and inattention are assessed with the Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT), the Integrated Visual and Auditory (IVA) CPT, or both. The Nadeau/Quinn/Littman ADHD Self-Rating Scale for Girls is a part of the assessment for all girls (3).

In children aged 5 years, “soft signs” appear early suggesting the presence of ADHD. Soft signs include:

Coordination difficulties
Impaired motor skills
Constant, involuntary movement of the eyes (nystagmus)
Visual-motor control problems (hand-eye coordination)

On the other hand, evaluating ADHD in adults is difficult and consists of understanding the childhood academic and behavioral history. Adults exhibit some of the coexisting conditions such as:

Depression
Bipolar disorder
Anxiety disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Substance abuse
Migraine
Irritable bowel syndrome
Thyroid dysfunction (10).

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com