Mental disorder of children, characterised by excessive activity and impaired attention and learning ability. Has been attributed to adverse reactions to food additives, but there is little evidence.
A disorder of childhood or adolescence characterized by over-activity, restlessness, distractibility, short attention span, and difficulties in learning and perceptual motor function. Believed in some cases to be associated with minimal brain dis-function. In DSM-IU-R, the official term is attention deficithyperactivity disorder and is classified as one of the disruptive behavior disorders.
Hyperactivity, a behavioral disorder in which the person, usually a child, is abnormally and uncontrollably active.
Hyperkinesis involves excessive involuntary movements that interfere with motor control. Both hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders are attributed to chemical and electrical imbalances that result in the malfunction of the body’s motor circuit. Hyperkinesis is characterized by repetitive movements that may involve the face, limbs, or the entire body. Hyperkinesis was formerly the diagnosis now referred to in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition (DSM-TV) as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Presently, the European Diagnostic Manual ICD-10 still emphasizes the presence of abnormal levels of inattention and overactivity across multiple settings in its identification of hyperkinetic disorders.
Excessive movement or activity; possible causes include hyperthyroidism or attention deficit disorder.
A mental disorder, usually of children, characterized by a grossly excessive level of activity and a marked impairment of the ability to attend. Learning is impaired as a result, and behavior is disruptive and may be defiant or aggressive. The syndrome is most common in the intellectually subnormal, the epileptic, and the brain-damaged. Treatment usually involves drugs (such as amphetamines or haloperidol) and behavior therapy; the family usually needs advice.