ADHD Delays, Rather than Alters, Brain Development


 

Publication Date: January 2008

Publisher: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child

Author(s):

Research Area: Population and demographics

Keywords: Developmental neurobiology; Child development

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The findings of this study indicate that the maturation of brain architecture occurs in a highly similar fashion between typically developing children and those with ADHD, with a significant delay in those with the disorder. This delay also leads to a shift in when individuals with ADHD go through the process of pruning of nerve connections that is part of the normal maturation process during adolescence.