Sadek J. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Misdiagnosis: Why Medical Evaluation Should Be a Part of ADHD Assessment.
Brain Sci 2023;
13:1522. [PMID:
38002482 PMCID:
PMC10669410 DOI:
10.3390/brainsci13111522]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with multiple aspects of daily functioning and is associated with impairments in several domains. It may affect academic, educational, vocational, social, emotional, interpersonal, and health domains, and worsen risks to health outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To identify and discuss medical conditions that commonly present with symptoms resembling ADHD.
METHOD
This review is selective and not systematic. It is conducted through a focused literature search through PubMed, Google Scholar, and EMBASE. Search term included "ADHD misdiagnosis", "medical conditions with ADHD like symptoms", "ADHD AND medical problems".
EXCLUSION
giftedness, high IQ, and any article that does not list medical conditions. The limits applied were the following: the work must have been published in the past 20 years, be on humans, and be in the English language.
RESULTS
There are several medical conditions that can be misdiagnosed as ADHD and may show a similar presentation to ADHD, particularly with inattentive symptoms. Examples include, but are not limited to, absence seizure disorder, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, sleep deprivation, post-concussion states, inflammatory bowel disease, iron deficiency states and anemia, and disordered breathing.
CONCLUSIONS
Our review suggests that a thorough medical evaluation should be conducted prior to the diagnosis of ADHD. Allied health professionals and psychologists who diagnose ADHD should seek medical clearance from a physician prior to making the ADHD diagnosis in order to reduce misdiagnosis rates and improve patient outcomes. ADHD diagnosis should follow guidelines and be carried out under a systematic standardized approach. A full medical evaluation should be conducted to assess for medical conditions that may look like ADHD or be associated with ADHD.
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