ADHD Diagnostic Assessment
A qualified health care professional, usually psychologists or psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD. As part of the assessment ratings scales, neuropsychological tests are employed.
The first step to evaluate for ADHD is to gather data from multiple sources. The health professional wants to know about the signs at home, at school and at work.
Interviews and Questionnaires
A doctor must interview the patient and review various information to determine ADHD. This includes a child's history of symptoms and how they affect their academic or work performance. For adults, it can include the family health history and personal health history and the results of any medical tests that might have been taken. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides clinical guidelines to diagnose ADHD. They provide a list symptoms that a doctor must identify to make an ADHD diagnosis.
The interview process typically includes standardised questionnaires that test ADHD symptoms. These scales for rating can be narrowband or broadband, and they may be able to cover a wide range of symptoms or be focused on specific subscales. Narrowband scales are usually simpler to score and require less time to complete. Broadband rating scales are employed to gather data for research studies and usually require professional training to interpret.
Some patients are hesitant to admit that they suffer from symptoms of ADHD even if they are well-educated or employed in a high-level position. Some patients are more assertive and insistent about their issues. They might even provide convincing evidence, for example, an unusual pattern of coping behaviors. The results of the interviews and questionnaires can be combined into a report to the doctor who might utilize additional assessment tools.
A test of the brain can help in determining other conditions that could cause ADHD-like symptoms, including certain kinds of learning disorders, depression or anxiety and the effects of medication. If a doctor suspects that the patient might have an intellectual disability, memory or cognitive impairments or a language or speech problem, a neuropsychological or psychometric examination may be needed. A physical examination may be required as well. If the symptoms are believed to be related to an addiction to drugs or alcohol, drug or alcohol use should be evaluated. These tests are usually conducted as part of a comprehensive assessment which can take several hours or more. Patients should arrive to their appointment feeling rested and willing to be able to answer questions regarding their behavior and functioning, as well as their family background.
Behavioral Tests
Interviewing a health professional is often the first step towards diagnosing ADHD. During the interview, the individual is asked to describe how the symptoms of ADHD affect their daily life. They could also be asked about other mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, which the person has suffered in the past. The examiner will also be asked about any medication the individual is taking. During the interview it is crucial that the interviewer is honest and transparent.
The examiner may inquire if any of their family members have been diagnosed with ADHD or if they have ADHD symptoms. This is due to the fact that ADHD tends to run within families. An individual who has an ancestral background of ADHD has 91% of the chance of developing the disorder.
After gathering all the data The evaluator will then proceed to conduct a series of behavioral tests. These tests provide more evidence of the individual may have symptoms of ADHD. These tests typically involve an evaluator asking the person questions about how they behave in certain situations and then giving them a score. The ratings are then compared to the ratings of others. The use of these types of standardized ratings helps to ensure that the results are accurate and consistent.
There are book adhd assessment rating scales available to determine the severity of ADHD. They range from broad-band scales that seek to assess the overall behavior and emotional state to narrow-band rating scales designed to identify the presence of particular ADHD symptoms. A lot of these ratings are available on the internet.
Computerized tests are becoming more popular in the diagnosis of ADHD. These tests are called continuous performance test (CPT). In this type of test, the subject is required to complete a set of tasks on the computer which test their ability to pay attention to details. The evaluator can then analyze the results of this test with those from other CPTs to help identify a possible diagnosis.
Tests for neuropsychological testing
To determine a full diagnosis of ADHD an evaluation will include tests of intelligence and various neuropsychological assessments. These tests can aid in identifying deficiencies in the main areas of ADHD symptoms such as executive functioning and working memory. Intelligence tests can also be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the brain and can help aid in treatment planning.
In previous studies on neuropsychology, adults with ADHD had impairments in a variety of different types of cognitive test batteries. These impairments are evident typically in frontal lobe functions tests (e.g. reversed, Tower of Hanoi and Stroop Interference Test). Not all ADHD sufferers exhibit these deficits the same way. In fact, some individuals do not have any issues on these neuropsychological tests at all (Luo and others., 2014).
This is especially relevant to clinical comparison groups, which are typically drawn from local community groups. They comprise people who meet the diagnostic criteria for another mental disorder or who do not suffer from mental illness at all, but have a reason for referral. Despite the wide range of cognitive differences that are observed in these groups, the results of the present study support the idea that neuropsychological testing could be of little value to distinguish adult ADHD from other psychiatric disorders during an assessment for clinical reasons.
The neurocognitive test was used to assess the hypothesized deficits in adults with 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).
The neuropsychological tests used in the present study confirmed previous ADHD adult results, and supported the frontal brain theory of the disorder. This is in line with other research that suggests that multifactorial models are significant in the etiology of the disorder and frontal lobe dysfunction might be a common deficit. The fact that the ADHD group and clinical groups had similar cognitive performance is in accordance with previous data from imaging and behavioral studies which show that frontal lobe dysfunction is common to the general population of patients with psychiatric disorders.
Medical Evaluation
If a child, teen, or adult is having problems at school or home or is having issues with relationships it could be the right time to determine if the cause is ADHD, learning disabilities, or stress. A medical examination can help determine the severity and nature of symptoms and rule out other medical conditions like thyroid disorders or seizure disorder. A physical examination is the first step. It can include hearing or eye tests for children as well as a thyroid test for adults. Medical records, including past tests and school records, are also important as they can assist a doctor track the onset of the disorder.
Interviews and questionnaires can help doctors better understand the cause of a patient's issue. They may interview parents, teachers, the person's significant other and even coworkers, friends or family members. A standardized rating scale will provide details on the frequency and severity of symptoms. It is based upon research that compared the behavior of people with ADHD and those who don't. The majority of doctors ask the patient as well as the significant other to complete the scale of rating.
A specialist in the field of ADHD will use a thorough approach to assess the symptoms of a person. They will make use of a variety of information, including interviews and rating systems and will adhere to the current diagnostic criteria. They may recommend further evaluations like brain imaging, to determine any possible underlying cause of the symptoms.
It is essential that the clinician carefully reviews symptoms in different settings and over the course of six months for adults. A diagnosis of ADHD requires a minimum of five established symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. The expert should also look into whether the patient has other comorbid issues, like a depression or anxiety disorder that feel and look similar to ADHD but do not respond to treatment with stimulants.
Consult your primary care physician or a mental health specialist to refer you to a specialist if you suspect that your child or you might have ADHD. You can also reach out to the local support group or a mental health clinic at a university hospital, or a graduate school of psychology to get recommendations.