Although no single cause for ADHD has been established, current research indicates that ADHD does not stem from adversity at home or school, but from biological causes.
ADHD has been a popular and controversial subject in the media. Unfortunately, what sells news doesn't always turn out to be fact. The following have all been reported in the media as causes of ADHD. However, the research tells us that ADHD is probably notcaused by any of these factors.
Bad parenting
Poor home life
Poor schools
Early psychological trauma
Minor head injuries
Excessive television viewing
Poverty
In recent years, as new technologies for studying the brain have been developed, scientists have been able to test new theories and have concluded the following.
Attention problems may be seen as dopamine deficiencies within the brain.
ADHD is likely caused by biological factors which influence the brain's neurotransmitter activity and which have a strong genetic basis.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans of the brain in people with ADHD show low levels of glucose in areas that control attention and impulse inhibition, indicating less activity.
ADHD tends to run in families, which is highly indicative of genetic factors. Family members of people with ADHD have a 25 to 35 percent chance of having the disorder as well, compared to a four to six percent chance for someone in the general population. Children who have ADHD usually have at least one close relative who also has it. And at least one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth bear children who have ADHD. Even more convincing: the majority of identical twins share the trait.