The Elisabeth d'Ornano Association for ADHD

Pediatricians

• What is ADHD?
• Recommendations
• Brief guide
• Others

Editorials

Classification systems. Subtypes of ADHD

There are two classification systems for the fundamental pathology, the international World Health Organization (ICD-10) and the American (DSM-IV-TR). The criteria used by each of them to diagnose ADHD are similar, although the DSM is a bit more lax and therefore studies using it always conclude that ADHD is more frequent than what is shown in studies using the CIE. The American system provides for the existence of disorders in which not all the symptoms are present, with the dominant being those of attention deficit or hyperactivity. The first type (which is almost exclusively attention deficit) is a controversial subtype that often reflects anxiety problems or learning difficulties than actual ADHD.