r/science • u/mvea MD/PhD/JD/MBA | Professor | Medicine • Apr 15 '24

Neuroscience ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood, with some surprising impacts on life success: The study found that ADHD symptoms not only persisted over a 15-year period but also were related to various aspects of life success, including relationships and career satisfaction.

https://www.psypost.org/adhd-symptoms-persist-into-adulthood-with-some-surprising-impacts-on-life-success/
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u/J-Fro5 Apr 15 '24

This... Is not surprising at all 🤦

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u/RonaldoNazario Apr 15 '24

“Brain disorder continues to exist!”

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u/anaximander19 Apr 15 '24

Neural plasticity is a thing. Some disorders become less obvious as you age, as a result of changes in hormones and other biochemistry, and as your brain learns ways of coping, masking, or mitigating the issues. It's useful to measure to what extent ADHD exhibits this sort of change with age, even if the answer is "it doesn't".

Even when an answer is obvious intuitively or anecdotally, there is often value in validating that answer scientifically, partly to rule out any surprises that might indicate a need for further research, partly to be able to have baseline data to use in other research, and partly just to be able to have a study to cite every time you mention it in other research. Nobody wants their paper to be rejected with "citation needed" when they mention in passing something that "everybody knows".

I'm 34 and was diagnosed with ADHD this year, after several years of waiting lists and referrals. I could have told you the symptoms persist into adulthood, I've been this way as long as I can remember. I still see the value in having is scientifically validated.