Guest guest Posted March 4, 1999 Report Share Posted March 4, 1999 Sleep disorders mimic the behavioral complex of ADHD! Some one could easily be mis-diagnosed with Attention Deficit disorder, even as a child. Chervin RD, Dillon JE, Bassetti C, Ganoczy DA, Pituch KJ. Symptoms of sleep disorders, inattention, and hyperactivity in children. Sleep. 1997; 20: 1185-1192. Many doctors do not include sleep disorders as part of the differential diagnosis of children & adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I would submit that with the current " fad " of diagnosing and treating ADD in adults, many adults are not receiving the real treatment that they need for sleep disorders. For example, a 43 yo man presented to a sleep clinic for evaluation; he was diagnosed as having adult attention-deficit disorder 3 years ago and has been treated with d-amphetamine. The diagnosis was made by a local ADHD expert, supposedly after a thorough evaluation with neuropsychiatric testing. A video taken by his wife of the patient sleeping demonstrated heroic snoring and flagrant OSA that has progressively worsened over the years. Did he have ADD? I don't think so. Did he need a stimulant medication? Nope but it probably " helped " him feel better in the morning and function at a decent level during the day. RAINBOWPED@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 1999 Report Share Posted March 4, 1999 Sleep disorders mimic the behavioral complex of ADHD! Some one could easily be mis-diagnosed with Attention Deficit disorder, even as a child. Chervin RD, Dillon JE, Bassetti C, Ganoczy DA, Pituch KJ. Symptoms of sleep disorders, inattention, and hyperactivity in children. Sleep. 1997; 20: 1185-1192. Many doctors do not include sleep disorders as part of the differential diagnosis of children & adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I would submit that with the current " fad " of diagnosing and treating ADD in adults, many adults are not receiving the real treatment that they need for sleep disorders. For example, a 43 yo man presented to a sleep clinic for evaluation; he was diagnosed as having adult attention-deficit disorder 3 years ago and has been treated with d-amphetamine. The diagnosis was made by a local ADHD expert, supposedly after a thorough evaluation with neuropsychiatric testing. A video taken by his wife of the patient sleeping demonstrated heroic snoring and flagrant OSA that has progressively worsened over the years. Did he have ADD? I don't think so. Did he need a stimulant medication? Nope but it probably " helped " him feel better in the morning and function at a decent level during the day. RAINBOWPED@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 1999 Report Share Posted March 4, 1999 Re: RAINBOWPED@... No doubt misdiagnosis of ADHD occurs, although some say that there are at least as many false negatives as false positives. I see normal but rambunctious children often who have been misdiagnosed ADHD by their physicians after 15 minute interviews. But more often I see children who are actually ADHD whose doctors have said they can't possibly be ADHD because they were well behaved in the (male, older, authoritarian) doctor's office. A thorough examination for ADHD, adult or child, requires hours of clinical contact and collateral reports from others in the child or adult's environment. The physical activity level, sleeping or awake, is one but not necessarily the most important factor. I too think that some patients who have been diagnosed ADHD are actually suffering from sleep disorders. I suspect when it comes to what's known as dysthymic disorder (long-term low-grade depression) the numbers are even greater. Hesley, Arlington, TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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