ADHD (slow emotional development)

I have heard many things about what ADHD could be.
Executive dysfunction is a key trait. And it begins in childhood.

What I saw by actual neuroscientists in the neuroimaging is that the cortex matures slower in kids who have it.
The cortex does not get thick as fast as normal kids so emotional development lags behind.
Boys have a higher prevalence to act out where girls sit quietly more often who have ADHD

On tests working memory and processing speed can show up as lower than other cognitive traits that may make kids with High IQ mask their ADHD
But masking does not solve the issues because emotions will be harder to control even if intelligence is high.

I got a moderately high score on an intelligence test when 12 but I avoided other kids because of my emotional problems.
I still have problems regulating my emotions and it takes allot of work to be resist expressing them when appropriate.
At times I do not know what the right things to say are and I get anxiety around strangers.
I try to keep to myself when possible and only meet people at therapy groups.

I do not know how to drive a car so that is a barrier as well.
Someone else is in charge of my money and paying the bills.

I focused much of my time on reading books watching videos and thinking.
As I am older I do find that executive functions never got better.
Processing speed and working memory on the last tests I took we low.
Yet I think about neuroscience and how such things operate.

I had a bad dream last night about me and my family fighting.
I no longer fight with them in real life but past events have mad it emotionally tiring to keep up.

Planning is an issue because I can organize well just not well enough to explore without fears of failer.
My room and stuff is all organized but its doing activities where I cannot see ahead.
So I make sure not to start anything I cannot finish.

This means I over prepare and sometime refuse to begin many activities I could lose control over the failer points.
I only do what I feel is necessary then where I do not have to worry about things going wrong.

Both hemispheres of the brain play different roles in development flipping between on side and the other as we age one side being strong in different cognitive areas than the other side in efficiency of cognitive tasks. These involve Cortical and subcortical areas that allow us to control ourselves and inhibit actions. ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence and is just a slow development case of myelination where kids have trouble fitting in because self control is not the same as other kids who control themselves given the typical age and kids with ADHD are usually 2 to 5 years behind their peers.

People with ADHD are in there heads allot so focusing externally is difficult and often zone out. Day dreaming.

Switching between tasks is difficult because of hyper focusing when the do focus externally on things they are interested in.

By the time of 8 most kids brain development (peak cortical thickness) has about the same "control" as adults where as kids with ADHD it age 11

People with ADHD may not reach full brain maturity till age 35
(Fluid intelligence peaks age 25, by age 30 typical adults have mature self control)

I might have been wrong about how executive function shows up in ADHD
Since it is delayed and not totally absent people with ADHD can plan things.
Planning like any skill is variable within the general population so some people will be high low or average.
I wish I had high level planning skills but it might be unrelated to ADHD

Self monitoring allows people to have metacognition in knowing about there mistakes but I guess daydreaming can limit self monitoring?

I often feel pain in the right frontal hemisphere which is associated with inhibition.
The left hemisphere is often not felt in me the same but is neutral.
Thinking to much hurt the right side of my brain.
If I grab onto those feelings I can control myself better being aware on them but sometimes forget to self monitor.

I was told I may process spatial intelligence equally well in both hemisphere where in typically people spatial intelligence is specialized on the right side of the brain.

Front and center: Maturational dysregulation of frontal lobe functional neuroanatomic connections in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder​

This is a Gemini Summary

According to the research in Front and center: Maturational dysregulation of frontal lobe functional neuroanatomic connections in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD is increasingly viewed as a result of maturational dysregulation in the brain's development rather than a simple dysfunction. This involves a complex interplay between specific cortical regions and subcortical pathways, often characterized by an imbalance in hemispheric development.

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1. Key Brain Regions Involved​

The "frontal lobe hypothesis" suggests that while the entire brain is involved, the following areas are central to ADHD symptoms:

Cortical Regions (The "Top-Down" Controllers)​

• Prefrontal Cortex (PFC): Specifically the right and middle prefrontal cortex, which often show decreased activation in individuals with ADHD. These areas are responsible for executive functions like planning, goal-directed behavior, and impulsivity control.
• Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG): A region in the right hemisphere that acts as a primary origin for the "hyperdirect pathway," which helps suppress unwanted or inappropriate thoughts and actions.
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC): Involved in identifying conflicts and regulating motivation.
• Insular Cortex: Part of the "salience network," which helps the brain switch between internal thoughts and external tasks.

Subcortical Regions (The "Communication Hubs")​

• Basal Ganglia: A group of structures including the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. These act as a filtering system for motor and cognitive signals.
• Subthalamic Nucleus (STN): A critical component of the inhibitory pathways that stop "unplanned" or non-purposeful movements.
• Thalamus: Serves as a relay station, sending signals back to the cortex to either execute or inhibit a behavior.

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2. The Interplay: Direct, Indirect, and Hyperdirect Pathways​

The brain uses specific loops to balance "action" and "inhibition." In ADHD, this balance is often disrupted:

• The Direct Pathway (Facilitatory): This pathway triggers action. In ADHD, overactivity in the left hemisphere's connections to this pathway can lead to hyperactivity and motor tics.
• The Indirect Pathway (Inhibitory): This pathway inhibits unwanted movements or behaviors.
• The Hyperdirect Pathway: This is a "fast-track" from the right hemisphere directly to the subthalamic nucleus. It is essential for containing non-purposeful movement. When this pathway is underdeveloped, individuals find it much harder to inhibit unplanned motor activity.

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3. Brain Asymmetry and Efficiency​

The paper emphasizes that a healthy brain prioritizes regional specialization to increase efficiency. The brain "dislikes" redundancy because it slows down the response to internal and external stimuli.

The Asymmetry Model​

• Right Hemisphere: Generally develops first (first 3 years) and is responsible for sustained attention and "bottom-up" sensory processing.
• Left Hemisphere: Takes the lead in development later and is associated with motor hyperactivity and "top-down" goal setting.

In ADHD, there is often a functional disconnection or imbalance. Underdevelopment of the right hemisphere (responsible for attention) paired with overactivity of the left hemisphere (responsible for movement) can explain the core symptoms of the disorder.

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4. The "Gravitational Pull" of the Default Mode Network (DMN)​

Efficiency is also impacted by how the brain switches between different states:

• Default Mode Network (DMN): Active during daydreaming or "zoned-out" states.
• Central Executive Network (CEN): Active during goal-oriented tasks.

In neurotypical development, the brain easily deactivates the DMN to focus on a task. However, individuals with ADHD often have a stronger "gravitational pull" toward the DMN, making it significantly more difficult to shift energy into the CEN for task completion.

Summary Note: Research indicates that ADHD children may reach peak cortical thickness 3 years later (ages 10–11) than their peers (ages 7–8), supporting the theory that the condition is a delay in the trajectory of normal brain maturation.

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