Evolución histórica del concepto del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad

Abstract

Introduction Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental neuropsychiatric disorder in childhood. Objective To establish a chronological timeline that includes the description of the evolution of the concept of ADHD throughout history. Methodology Bibliographic review paper in which the most relevant databases are consulted, as well as different historical publications related to child and adolescent psychiatrics and psychology. The successive Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals of Mental Disorders by the American Psychological Association will also be consulted, as well as other information and relevant papers found on the Internet. Results There have been up to 13 books (both historical and contemporary) and 12 scientific articles that contain relevant information about ADHD. It can be observed that significant differences exist throughout history both when it comes to the concept of the disorder (having been considered throughout the years as a neurological illness, an injury occuring at birth or an illness consisting of a minimal brain malfunction to being considered at the present time a multifactorial disorder) and when it comes to the diagnostic criteria (having been exclusively related to the attention deficit ground up to 1950, with the hyperactivy symptoms predominating over the attention deficit ones between 1950 and 1980 and having both being integrated in a unique disorder that year, establishing diagnostic criteria related both with hyperactiviy and with attention deficit). Conclusions The name and concept of ADHD disorder has changed from the first descriptions of its diagnostic criteria up to the present time.