ADHD Diagnostic Assessment
A trained health care provider, usually psychologists or psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD. In the course of assessing, rating scales and neuropsychological tests are used.
To assess ADHD It is essential to gather information from many sources. The health professional will be interested in knowing about the symptoms in various settings, including at home, school and at work.
Interviews and Questionnaires
A doctor has to talk with a patient and review various information to diagnose ADHD. This includes a child's history of symptoms and how they impact their school or performance at work. For adults, it may include the family health history as well as personal health history and the results of any medical tests that have been taken. The American Psychiatric Association has published guidelines for diagnosing ADHD, known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). The guidelines provide a list of symptoms that a physician must identify to make an ADHD diagnosis.
The interview process is often supported by standardised questionnaires that are designed to measure symptoms of ADHD. These scales of rating can be either narrowband or broadband and can cover a broad range of symptoms or be focused on specific subscales. Narrowband rating scales generally have a shorter completion time and are simpler to score. Broadband rating scales are used to collect data for research and require professional training.
Some patients are hesitant to agree that they have symptoms of ADHD, especially in cases where they have a high-quality education or are employed in a high-level position. Others, on the contrary however, are insistent about having problems and present convincing evidence of their challenges, such as an unusual pattern of coping. The results of the interviews and questionnaires can be compiled into a report to the doctor, who could also utilize additional assessment tools.
A test of the brain is helpful in determining the presence of other conditions that could cause ADHD-like symptoms. This includes certain types of learning disabilities or anxiety, depression or drug-related side effects. A psychometric or neuropsychological test might be necessary if the doctor suspects that a patient has intellectual impairment, other cognitive or memory impairments, or a language or speech impairment. A physical examination may be needed as well. If the symptoms are thought to be related to a substance abuse disorder or alcohol use, the drug or alcohol usage should be evaluated. These tests are usually carried out as part of a complete examination that takes a few hours or longer. Patients should arrive to their appointment feeling rested and ready to spend time answering questions regarding their behavior and functioning, as well as their family background.
Behavioral Tests
An interview with a health professional is often the first step to diagnosing ADHD. During this time the person will be asked to explain how the symptoms of ADHD affect their daily lives. The patient could be asked to explain other mental health issues that they have had in the past, like depression or anxiety. The evaluator will also inquire about any medication the individual is taking. During the interview, it's important that people are honest and open.
The examiner will likely inquire about any relatives who have been diagnosed with ADHD or suffer from ADHD symptoms themselves. This is because ADHD is a common occurrence within families. my response with a parent's history of ADHD has a 91% chance to develop the disorder.
After gathering all the data, the evaluator will proceed to conduct tests on behavior. These tests can provide objective evidence that someone might be suffering from ADHD. These tests typically involve an examiner asking the individual questions about how they behave in various situations before giving them a score. These ratings are then compared with those of people who are not. These kinds of standardized ratings make sure that the results are accurate and consistent.
There are several different standardized rating scales that can be used to evaluate the severity of ADHD symptoms. These range from broad-band rating scales designed to assess the overall behavior and emotional functioning to narrow-band scales of rating that are specifically designed to determine the presence of specific ADHD symptoms. A lot of these ratings are accessible online.
Computerized tests are becoming increasingly popular in the diagnosis of ADHD. These tests are referred to as continuous performance test (CPT). This type of test requires the patient to complete a variety of computer-related tasks that require their attention to detail. The evaluator can then compare the results of this test to those from other CPTs to help determine a possible diagnosis.
Neuropsychological Tests
To identify ADHD, an evaluation includes tests of intelligence and neuropsychological tests. These tests could help determine weaknesses in the primary areas of ADHD symptoms, like executive functioning and working memory. Tests for intelligence are also used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the brain and can help aid in the treatment plan.
In previous neuropsychological research people with ADHD were found to have impairments in different types of cognitive test batteries. These impairments are typically observed in frontal lobe function tests (e.g., reversal learning, Tower of Hanoi, Stroop Interference Test). Not all ADHD sufferers exhibit these deficits in the same way. In fact, some individuals do not have any issues in these tests at all (Luo and co., 2014).
This is particularly true for clinical comparisons groups, which are typically recruited by local community populations. They consist of individuals who have the diagnostic criteria for another mental disorder or who do not suffer from mental disorders whatsoever but have a reason for referral. The results of this study, despite the wide range of cognitive differences observed among these study groups support the idea that neuropsychological tests might not be able of separating adult ADHD from other psychiatric illnesses during a clinical evaluation.
The neurocognitive battery was utilized to determine the hypothesized deficiencies in adult ADHD. These tests included a number of simple attention/vigilance tasks, complex cognitive functions including working memory (NBV correct responses), inhibition/interference control (Go/No-Go omissions and Stroop Interference test naming interference) and cognitive flexibility (TMT part B/TMT part A, SWITCH task switch accuracy).
In the current study, the neuropsychological tests mostly confirmed prior ADHD adult results and supported the hypothesis of a dysfunctional frontal lobe for the disorder. This is in agreement with other studies that suggest that multifactorial models could be important for the etiology and frontal lobe dysfunction may be a common deficit. Furthermore, the fact that the ADHD group and the clinical groups had similar cognitive performance is in line with previous behavioral and neuroimaging research that has shown that frontal lobe dysfunction is common in the general psychiatric population.
Medical Evaluation
If a person, whether a child or an adult, is having issues at school and home or is having issues with relationships, it may be time to find out whether the problem is stress, a learning disability or ADHD. A medical assessment can aid in determining the severity and type of symptoms and rule out other medical conditions such as thyroid disorders or seizure disorder. A physical examination is the first step. It could include hearing or eye tests for children or a thyroid exam for adults. Medical records, including past tests and school records, are also important as they can help a doctor track the onset of the condition.
Questionnaires and interviews can help doctors understand the problem of a patient. Parents, teachers as well as significant others, friends and coworkers may be questioned. A standardized rating scale will provide details about the frequency and severity of symptoms. It is based upon research that compared the behavior of people with ADHD and those who do not. The majority of doctors request the patient as as the significant other to fill out a rating scale.
Often, an expert in the field of ADHD will use a thorough method to evaluate the severity of symptoms. They will employ various sources of information, such as interviews and rating scales, and will follow the current criteria for diagnosing. They may recommend additional evaluations, including brain imaging, in order to identify any underlying causes for the symptoms.
It is essential that the clinician carefully reviews symptoms in different settings and over a period of six months for adults. A diagnosis of ADHD requires a minimum of five established symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. The doctor will also need to determine if the person suffers from comorbid conditions, such as anxiety or depression, that appear and feel like ADHD however, they do not respond well to stimulant treatment.
Ask your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist to refer you to a specialist if you suspect that your child or you might be suffering from ADHD. You can also contact an organization that offers support in your area or a mental health clinic at a university hospital or a graduate school of psychology for recommendations.