Evolution and Revolution in Child Psychiatry: ADHD as a Disorder of Adaptation

Jensen, Peter S.; Mrazek, David A.; Knapp, Penelope; Steinberg, Laurence; Pfeffer, Cynthia R.; Schowalter, John E.; Shapiro, Theodore

doi:10.1097/00004583-199712000-00015

Cited by 228 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…However, if we give the assumptions of the studies the benefit of the doubt, it is notable that their results are all compatible with the "response-readiness" hypothesis proposed by Jensen et al (11), which was described briefly in the introduction. According to Jensen However, if these traits are stable, they go from being advantageous to disadvantageous if the environment changes permanently from unsafe/depleted to safe/rich.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…In the face of this challenge a number of different explanations for the evolutionary persistence of ADHD have been proposed. Specifically, it has been suggested that while the ADHD may be maladaptive in the present environment, it has contributed to increased fitness in an ancestral environment allowing individuals to survive and pass on their genes (11,12). Examples of this so-called "mismatch theory" (13) are outlined below.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Empirical tests of natural selection-based evolutionary accounts of ADHD: a systematic review

Thagaard

Faraone

Sonuga‐Barke

et al. 2016

Acta Neuropsychiatr.

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(248 words)Objective: ADHD is a prevalent and highly heritable mental disorder associated with significant impairment, morbidity and increased rates of mortality. This combination of high prevalence and high morbidity/mortality seen in ADHD and other mental disorders presents a challenge to naturalselection-based models of human evolution. Several hypotheses have been proposed in an attempt to resolve this apparent paradox. The aim of this study was to review the evidence for these hypotheses. Methods:We conducted a systematic review of the literature on empirical investigations of naturalselection-based evolutionary accounts for ADHD in adherence with the PRISMA guideline. The PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were screened for relevant publications, by combining search terms covering evolution/selection with search terms covering ADHD. Results:The search identified 790 records. Of these, 15 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and three were included in the review. Two of these reported on the evolution of the seven-repeat allele of the ADHD-associated dopamine receptor D4 gene, and one reported on the results of a simulation study of the effect of suggested ADHD-traits on group survival. The authors of the three studies interpreted their findings as favoring the notion that ADHD-traits may have been associated with increased fitness during human evolution. However, we argue that none of the three studies really tap into the core ADHD phenotype, and that their conclusions therefore lack validity for ADHD. Conclusions:This review indicates that the natural-selection-based hypotheses for ADHD have not been subjected to empirical test and therefore remain entirely speculative. Keywords:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Biological Evolution; Selection, genetic; Adaptation, Biological. 3 Summations-The search conducted for our systematic review of empirical investigations of natural-selectionbased evolutionary accounts for ADHD identified 790 records. Of these, 15 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and only three were included in the review.-The authors of the three studies included in this review interpreted their findings as favoring the notion that ADHD-traits may have been associated with increased fitness during human evolution. However, we argue that none of the three studies really tap into the core ADHD phenotype, and that their conclusions therefore lack validity for ADHD.-This review indicates that the natural-selection-based hypotheses for ADHD have not been subjected to empirical test and therefore remain entirely speculative. We suggest that this gap in knowledge should be addressed in future studies. Considerations-Publications relevant for this topic may have gone undetected in our search.-It is noteworthy that there are more publications raising hypotheses for the evolutionary background for ADHD than there are studies testing them empirically.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical tests of natural selection-based evolutionary accounts of ADHD: a systematic review

Thagaard

Faraone

Sonuga‐Barke

et al. 2016

Acta Neuropsychiatr.

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“…These same four decades have also witnessed a significant increase in the diagnosis rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Akinbami, Liu, Pastor, & Reuben, 2011;Kelleher, McInerny, Gardner, Childs, & Wasserman, 2000;Visser et al, 2014). ADHD is a behavioral disorder characterized by a cluster of three symptoms: attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th The parallel between changes occurring in children's media environment and ADHD diagnosis rates have led to a concern among some authors that use of media entertainment may influence ADHD-related behaviors (e.g., Christakis, 2009;Jensen et al, 1997;Nigg, 2006;Sigman, 2007). Although studies into the relationship between children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors have accumulated, they have yielded mixed results (also see Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008;Schmidt & Vandewater, 2008).…”

Section: Abstract: Adhd Attention Problems Hyperactivity Impulsivimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of these hypotheses attribute this effect to its violent content (Zimmerman & Christakis, 2007). Other hypotheses attribute this effect to the fast pace of entertainment media (i.e., the frequent use of cuts, edits, and fast character movement; Christakis, 2009;Christakis, Zimmerman, DiGiuseppe, & McCarty, 2004;Geist & Gibson, 2000;Halpern, 1975;Jensen et al, 1997;Landhuis, Poulton, Welch, & Hancox, 2007;Levine & Waite, 2000) or to the overall amount of time children spent consuming media (Christakis, 2009;Zimmerman & Christakis, 2007). Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we included all studies investigating the effect of either violent, fastpaced, or overall screen media use on ADHD-related behaviors.…”

Section: Media Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The parallel between changes occurring in children's media environment and ADHD diagnosis rates have led to a concern among some authors that use of media entertainment may influence ADHD-related behaviors (e.g., Christakis, 2009;Jensen et al, 1997;Nigg, 2006;Sigman, 2007). Although studies into the relationship between children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors have accumulated, they have yielded mixed results (also see Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008;Schmidt & Vandewater, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Media use and ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.

Nikkelen¹,

Valkenburg

Huizinga³

et al. 2014

Developmental Psychology

235

214

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There are several theoretical reasons to believe that media use might be related to attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-related behaviors (i.e., attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Although studies into the media-ADHD relationship have accumulated, they have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we still do not know whether children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors are related and, if so, under which conditions. To fill this gap in the literature, we first identified 6 different hypotheses that may explain why media use in general and viewing fast-paced or violent media content might be related to 1 or more ADHD-related behaviors. Subsequently, we conducted a meta-analysis of 45 empirical studies investigating the relationship between media use and ADHDrelated behaviors in children and adolescents. Our results indicated a small significant relationship between media use and ADHD-related behaviors (r ϩ ϭ .12). Finally, we identified several specific gaps in the existing literature and presented 5 crucial directions for future research. Keywords: ADHD, attention problems, hyperactivity, impulsivity, media useIn the past four decades, children's media entertainment (e.g., cartoons, TV shows, and computer games) has changed significantly. It has become more fast-paced, violent, and arousing (Allen, Livingstone, & Reiner, 1998;Bushman, Jamieson, Weitz, & Romer, 2013;Koolstra, van Zanten, Lucassen, & Ishaak, 2004), and it has become abundantly accessible to ever younger children. These same four decades have also witnessed a significant increase in the diagnosis rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Akinbami, Liu, Pastor, & Reuben, 2011;Kelleher, McInerny, Gardner, Childs, & Wasserman, 2000;Visser et al., 2014). ADHD is a behavioral disorder characterized by a cluster of three symptoms: attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th The parallel between changes occurring in children's media environment and ADHD diagnosis rates have led to a concern among some authors that use of media entertainment may influence ADHD-related behaviors (e.g., Christakis, 2009;Jensen et al., 1997;Nigg, 2006;Sigman, 2007). Although studies into the relationship between children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors have accumulated, they have yielded mixed results (also see Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008;Schmidt & Vandewater, 2008). It is essential to gain more understanding of the media-ADHD relationship in order to design adequate prevention and intervention strategies aimed at children displaying behavioral problems. To date, no attempt has been made to integrate the inconsistent findings in the current literature using meta-analysis. To fill this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between the use of screen entertainment media (i.e., television viewing and video game playing) and ADHD-related behaviors in children or adolescents under the age of 18.For this ...

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The Myth of the Normal Brain: Embracing Neurodiversity

Armstrong

2015

AMA Journal of Ethics

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Evolution and Revolution in Child Psychiatry: ADHD as a Disorder of Adaptation

Cited by 228 publications

References 22 publications

Empirical tests of natural selection-based evolutionary accounts of ADHD: a systematic review

Empirical tests of natural selection-based evolutionary accounts of ADHD: a systematic review

Media use and ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.

The Myth of the Normal Brain: Embracing Neurodiversity

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