Study uses brain imaging to identify three distinct ADHD subtypes, potentially explaining why treatments work differently across patients.
Key Takeaways
Researchers scanned brains of ADHD patients and identified three neurologically distinct subtypes.
The subtypes may correspond to different treatment responses, implying a one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient.
One subtype appears resistant to standard ADHD treatment, raising questions about diagnosis boundaries.
Study examines the brain directly rather than relying solely on behavioral criteria.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters note the three subtypes loosely map to DSM-IV categories ADHD-PH, ADHD-PI, and ADHD-C, suggesting neuroimaging confirms existing behavioral taxonomy rather than breaking new ground.
The untreatable subtype sparked debate on whether it constitutes a separate disorder entirely, with a diabetes type 1/type 2 analogy offered as precedent for splitting one label into distinct conditions.
Notable Comments
@burnt-resistor: “reinvented DSM-IV ADHD-PH, -PI, and -C more or less, but at least someone’s examined the organ responsible”
@chrisldgk: questions why an untreatable variant is classified as ADHD rather than a distinct disorder.
