Opportunity to Increase Sensitivity and Specificity of Diagnosis

Abstract: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common life span disorder associated with marked impairment at all ages. Efficacious treatment for ADHD has been in place for many decades. Past and present publications of ‘international classification of diseases ’ (ICD) [1], past and present issues and ‘diagnostic statistical manual ’ (DSM) [2] does not make use of the fact that a certain proportion of patients with ADHD have an excellent response to ADHD medication. The next edition of ICD is going to be published shortly [3]. The new ICD- 11 is an opportunity to increase sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis. There is a marked difference between ADHD syndrome and neuropsychiatric ADHD [4] that responds to ADHD medication (NADHDM). ADHD syndrome has a multitude of underlying pathologies [5], but neuropsychiatric ADHD has unlikely such a multitude of underlying pathologies [6]. ICD-11 has the opportunity to do well limiting diagnosis of ADHD to ‘ADHD neuropsychiatric disorder that responds to ADHD medication ’ (NADHDM)