RG ADHD in Childhood and Adolescence

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Besides attentional problems, the affected children suffer from a significant hyperactivity beyond the age-typical level ,and increased impulsivity. This can cause substantial limitations in the fields of learning and performance (at school), but also in families, and social interactions with peers. The RG focuses on the genetic and environmental causes of the syndrome, the neurobiological associations, and the resulting treatment options. 

Especially, ESCAlife-study has to be mentioned, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, a national-wide study with the aim to investigate stepped-care and evidence-based therapeutic interventions for patients with ADHD between the age of three and 45 years. Further information of the ESCAlife study is provided here: www.esca-life.org. In addition, the RG ADHD is involved in studies of the effectiveness of biofeedback methods on ADHD core symptoms and the reward system, respectively (in collaboration with the RG Developmental Clinical Neurophysiology in Childhood and Adolescence). A further research area is the field of affective dysregulation in children and adolescents regarding epidemiological, neurobiological and therapeutic aspects, currently investigated in the ADOPT-study.

Furthermore, the RG ADHD played a pivotal role in writing and implementing the S3 German guideline for the diagnosis and therapy of children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD.