Supervisors info:
Κωνσταντίνος Καλαχάνης, Διδάκτωρ Φιλοσοφίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Πολυξένη Νικολοπούλου-Σταμάτη, Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ανδρέας Χ. Λάζαρης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of neurological nature, manifested already from childhood with various physical symptoms e.g. nocturnal enuresis, frequent allergies, anxiety, but also with behavioral problems and perception of the space-time orientation and of the social environment. The disorder extends to adult life. This topic is a field of great concern to the scientific community as its interdisciplinary management is necessary.
This particular health issue is very common in the general school population. The learning difficulties faced by a person with ADHD are insurmountable without the help of specialists, but his socialization is difficult.
In terms of neuro-anatomical structures and neurophysiology, people with ADHD have different imaging depictions than healthy ones. However, the diagnosis is made by clinical examination and psychological criteria.
The inherited substrate is an important factor in the emergence of ADHD, but there is a close correlation between the genome and the environmental factors. Scientists point out that there are environmental risk factors already contributing to the manifestation and acuity of ADHD symptoms since the embryonic life.
Factors such as passive smoking, atmospheric pollution with airborne carbon dioxide, heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, food additives, high sugars, drug abuse, lead among others affect the child's health both during and after fetal life and cause the manifestation of ADHD. In addition, all toxins found in water, food, air, and the environment of a child with ADHD in general increase the intensity of its basic symptoms, such as learning difficulties, behavioral disorder and hyperactivity.
The exposure of the fetus and the child to the aforementioned toxic factors, the legal protection grid and the usual environmental and health tactics, the development of an ethically acceptable personality with the help of environmental factors, the transmission of information, are just a few of the issues that link ADHD to the environment, ethics and the decisions that must be taken for a better life to be achieved.
Keywords:
Inattention, Hyperactivity, Basal ganglia, Dopamine, Reward