Handbook of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Chapter One
The History of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
LOUISE SHARKEY AND MICHAEL FITZGERALD
1.1 OVERVIEW
The condition now referred to as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (DSM-IV)
(American Psychiatric Association, 1994) or Hyperkinetic Disorder (ICD-10)
(World Health Organization, 1992) was first described by George Still in 1901 (Still,
1902). In his lectures to the Royal Academy of Physicians he described a case series
of 20 children presenting with problems of overactivity, inattention and deficits in
'volitional inhibition'. He also described symptoms of aggressiveness, defiance,
resistance to discipline and dishonesty, which in today's nomenclature would be
diagnosed as Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder which are often
comorbid with ADHD. Subsequent to Dr Still's lecture a number of different diagnostic
labels were assigned to the same symptoms, including Minimal Brain Damage
and Minimal Brain Dysfunction to refer to children presenting with overactivity
and ina ... read full excerpt from Handbook of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ebook
