ADHD, Stress, and Development

This first-of-its-kind volume revisits current findings on ADHD in terms of classic thinking on developmental neuropsychology for a more rounded concept of brain disorganization. Insights from Freud, Janet, John Hughlings Jackson, and other pioneers help identify mechanisms (e.g., the primitive reflexes) that can cause children with ADHD to be prone to cognitive dissociation when exposed to stressful environments. The authors’ model of the developing distracted brain pinpoints effects of stress on cognitive and affective functions, most notably attention and memory, and suggests situations in which stimuli may facilitate integration between brain and mind. This expanded knowledge opens out new educational possibilities for vulnerable students as well as new opportunities for therapeutic breakthroughs for children with ADHD.

Included in the coverage:

· Definition, diagnosis, and epidemiology of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

· Historical and recent research on ADHD.

· Attentional functions, executive dysfunctions, and stress, implications for ADHD.

· Neural dissolution, dissociation, and stress in ADHD.

· Attention, brain-mind integration and ADHD.

· Implications for education and therapy of ADHD children.

ADHD, Stress, and Development ably synthesizes past and current understanding into a robust framework with implications for real-world practice. It offers practitioners and researchers new perspectives and future directions in neuropsychology, psychiatry, child and school psychology, and pediatrics.

Jana Konicarova is a child psychologist at Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic) and Stroder Therapy Center in Cham (Germany). Her main interest in psychotherapy and research is focused on child psychology and specific developmental stages related to ontogenesis of cognitive and motor functions. In this context she is mainly interested in development of primitive reflexes in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

Petr Bob is a psychologist and neuroscientist at Center for Neuropsychiatric Research of Traumatic Stress, First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. His main research interest includes influences of stress and dissociation in relation to various psychopathological and psychophysiological mechanisms, and using nonlinear and complexity analysis of electrophysiological signals.