Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), also known as incipient dementia and isolated memory impairment, is a neurological disorder that occurs in older adults which involves cognitive impairments with minimal impairment in instrumental activities of daily living? MCI involves the onset and evolution of cognitive impairments beyond those expected based on the age and education of the individual, but which are not significant enough to interfere with their daily activities. It may occur as a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. The specific etiology of MCI remains unclear as well as its prevention and treatment.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder of the neurodevelopment type. It is characterized by problems paying attention, excessive activity, or difficulty controlling behavior, which is not appropriate for a person’s age. The symptoms appear before a person is twelve years old, are present for more than six months, and cause problems in at least two settings (such as school, home, or recreational activities). In children, problems paying attention may result in poor school performance. Although it causes impairment, particularly in modern society, many children with ADHD have a good attention span for tasks they find interesting.

Despite being the most commonly studied and diagnosed mental disorder in children and adolescents, the exact cause is unknown in the majority of cases. It affects about 5–7% of children when diagnosed via the DSM-IV criteria and 1–2% when diagnosed via the ICD-10 criteria. As of 2015 it is estimated to affect about 51.1 million people globally. Rates are similar between countries and depend mostly on how it is diagnosed. ADHD is diagnosed approximately three times more often in boys than in girls, although the disorder is often overlooked in girls due to their symptoms differing from those of boys. About 30–50% of people diagnosed in childhood continue to have symptoms into adulthood and between 2–5% of adults have the condition. The condition can be difficult to tell apart from other conditions, as well as to distinguish from high levels of activity that are still within the range of normative behaviors.

ADHD management recommendations vary by country and usually involve some combination of counseling, lifestyle changes, and medications. The British guideline only recommends medications as a first-line treatment in children who have severe symptoms and for medication to be considered in those with moderate symptoms who either refuse or fail to improve with counseling, though for adults medications are a first-line treatment. Canadian and American guidelines recommend that medications and behavioral therapy be used together as a first-line therapy, except in preschool-aged children. Stimulant medication therapy is not recommended as a first-line therapy in preschool-aged children in either guideline. Treatment with stimulants is effective for up to 14 months; however, its long-term effectiveness is unclear. Adolescents and adults tend to develop coping skills, which make up for some or all of their impairments.

The medical literature has described symptoms similar to ADHD since the 19th century. ADHD, its diagnosis, and its treatment have been considered controversial since the 1970s. The controversies have involved clinicians, teachers, policymakers, parents, and the media. Topics include ADHD's causes and the use of stimulant medications in its treatment. Most healthcare providers accept ADHD as a genuine disorder in children and adults, and the debate in the scientific community mainly centers on how it is diagnosed and treated. The condition was officially known as attention deficit disorder (ADD) from 1980 to 1987, while before this it was known as hyperkinetic reaction of childhood.

As a kid, I was famed for not paying attention. A butterfly distracted me. A painting that no one else saw and no one seemed to care. I could pick out a pitch and a rhythm but a woman standing at a blackboard spouting facts and cognitions only bored me. I would bounce up and down on the backseat of our car for hours to the song in my head. I’d bang my head on the pillow at night probably trying to rid myself of those strange dreams.

Television was my opiate. Fuzzy black and white animation with sound caught and kept my attention while books and sports and other social interaction were mere distractions of where my focus was.

Once I found instruments that could help me reproduce what I was listening to in my head, I was hooked on music. Still my interest was in watching, listening, figuring it out rather than structured study.

My point, as ever story must have a point, is if I am listening to you and start to wander off in disinterest, forgive me. I have a cognitive impairment.