The Epidemiology of Childhood Hyperactivity

The authors have developed methods to assess hyperactivity and other behavioural problems in children and to measure disturbance of attention and neurological development. The study which they have described here applied these methods in an epidemiological setting.

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Most previous research work on antisocial conduct disorders in children has not separated the subgroup of children with hyperkinesis caused by dysfunction of the brain from those where it is caused by psychosocial problems. The authors have developed methods to assess hyperactivity and other behavioural problems and to measure disturbance of attention and neurological development. The study described in this monograph applied these methods in an epidemiological setting and sought to identify and compare children with hyperactivity, conduct disorder and both problems together, with a normal control group of children.