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Introduction
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. According to Gehricke et al. (2017), it is diagnosed in 5% of children and 2.5% of adults, and over 60% of children with ADHD do not outgrow this disorder. ADHD affects human behavior and cognition, causing people to struggle with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Further, the information is presented about what brain structures are involved in ADHD and how the brain’s perception of information influences the learning process. In the end, recommendations are given as to what can be done to mitigate the impact of ADHD on academic performance.
Structures of the Brain Involved in ADHD
The brain has a crucial role in determining people’s behavior and cognitive processes. In individuals with ADHD, specific brain structures are different from those in people without ADHD. It was found that children and young adults with ADHD had structural changes in the basal ganglia, frontal, occipito-parietal, temporal, and anterior cingulate regions of the brain (Gehricke et al., 2017). In particular, they had a reduced concentration of grey matter, increased concentration of white matter, and smaller temporal, frontal, striatal, limbic, and parietal regions, which could be linked to incomplete maturation of these regions (Gehricke et al., 2017).
Ciccarelli and White (2019) report that ADHD is marked by decreased sizes of basal ganglia, the prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum, and cerebellum. Thus, many brain structures are smaller in people with ADHD than in those without this disorder, which contributes to the development of ADHD symptoms.
Many of the affected regions are involved in controlling cognitive and behavioral characteristics such as attention, motivation, learning, and emotions. For example, basal ganglia, subcortical structures located near the base of the brain, are responsible for motor control, the learning of motor skills, and emotional responses (Ciccarelli & White, 2019). Since individuals with ADHD have smaller basal ganglia, they have difficulty controlling their movement and emotional responses, which explains their impulsivity. Further, the prefrontal cortex, which is the front section of the frontal lobes, is responsible for controlling emotional responses, focusing attention, planning, motivation, and storing short-term memories (Ciccarelli & White, 2019). The cerebellum is in charge of storing memories of conditioned responses, habits, and skills (Ciccarelli & White, 2019).
The function of the corpus callosum, which connects the right and the left hemispheres, is to ensure the communication between the two cerebral hemispheres (Ciccarelli & White, 2019). The changes in this brain structure may cause a decline in individuals’ cognitive functions. Thus, the smaller sizes of the reviewed brain structures associated with ADHD result in problems with attention, memory, and controlling movement and emotional responses.
The Perception of Information by the Brain
People with ADHD perceive information differently from those without ADHD. Researchers link this fact to abnormalities in the neurotransmitter system inside the brain, particularly the decreased input of dopamine to the prefrontal cortex (Fuermaier et al., 2018). Studies show that individuals with ADHD have reduced speech recognition thresholds (Fuermaier et al., 2018). It means that they have a higher minimum hearing level at which they can recognize speech. However, since speech recognition is related to such cognitive functions as attention and working memory, researchers link this problem to decreased cognitive functions rather than impaired hearing (Fuermaier et al., 2018).
While the speech recognition threshold in people with ADHD is reduced, they also have a narrower range of sounds that they perceive as tolerable (Fuermaier et al., 2018). It means that they can tolerate only softer sounds, but their speech recognition threshold does not allow them to recognize the speech if it is not loud enough. As a result, individuals with ADHD cannot adequately process auditory information (Fuermaier et al., 2018). Therefore, in academic settings, students with ADHD can have difficulties retrieving important information from auditory lectures.
The issues with attention and working memory mentioned above also influence how people with ADHD perceive visual information. Researchers report that the decline in these cognitive functions leads to problems with peripheral vision, visual processing speed, visual search, and depth perception (Fuermaier et al., 2018). These problems become more observable when people with ADHD are engaged in completing tasks requiring attention (Fuermaier et al., 2018). Thus, it may be concluded that, due to inattention, students with ADHD spend more time processing visual information than their counterparts without this disorder do.
Suggestions for Academic Success
Although studying is challenging for students with ADHD, they can use several strategies to cope with inattention and impulsivity. Barnett (2017) suggests that students with ADHD should keep their workspace clean and uncluttered to get rid of possible distractions. It is also helpful to engage in some physical activity during the breaks from classes to release energy (Barnett, 2017). There is also a variety of digital apps that can help students with ADHD better organize their work.
For example, they can use apps for making mind maps, taking notes, and watching online lessons (Barnett, 2017). Apps for time management, such as electronic timers, can also be helpful because they help students to stay concentrated for a set period. Apart from that, people with ADHD sometimes use headphones with white noise when they feel overwhelmed by the noises around them. Sometimes, it can be difficult to cope with the effects of ADHD on one’s own. Therefore, one should have external support, for example, a friend who would exert outside influence on a person with ADHD when the symptoms are particularly severe.
References
Barnett, J. E. H. (2017). Helping students with ADHD in the age of digital distraction. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 36(2), 1–7. Web.
Ciccarelli, S., & White, J. N. (2019). Psychology (6th ed.). Pearson.
Fuermaier, A. B. M., Hüpen, P., De Vries, S. M., Müller, M., Kok, F. M., Koerts, J., Heutink, J., Tucha, L., Gerlach, M., & Tucha, O. (2018). Perception in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 10, 21–47. Web.
Gehricke, J. G., Kruggel, F., Thampipop, T., Alejo, S. D., Tatos, E., Fallon, J., & Muftuler, L. T. (2017). The brain anatomy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults – A magnetic resonance imaging study. PloS One, 12(4), e0175433. Web.
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