4 Ways Your ADHD Brain is Different–Literally

Have you ever explained to someone how your ADHD affects you only to be met with, “It’s all in your head”? Of course, it is–because that’s where your brain is.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not just a behavioral issue but a unique neurodevelopmental disorder. It is classified as such in the DSM-TR-5 and is characterized by distinct brain structure and process differences. These differences are not flaws but unique features that may impact how one functions in different settings, learns, and performs executive functions. Here are just a few of the ways that the ADHD brain is uniquely structured compared to those without.

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1.  Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe is your executive control center. Executive functioning skills include focusing, planning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, impulse control, motivation, and logical thinking. 

In the ADHD Brain

The frontal lobe is often thinner and takes a longer time to develop fully compared to people without ADHD. These differences usually lead to what are commonly described as executive dysfunctions associated with ADHD, such as working memory difficulties, difficulty with planning, trouble keeping organized, and issues with delaying gratification. 

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2. Basal Ganglia

The basal ganglia are a network of several different brain structures in the center of the brain that form meaningful connections among themselves to control things, including (but most certainly not limited to) movement, habit forming, procedural learning (defined by the American Psychological Association as “the process of acquiring skill at a task, particularly a task that eventually can be performed automatically [i.e., without attention], as opposed to acquiring a declarative memory or factual knowledge about it”), and others. Information from different brain regions will enter the basal ganglia and then be transmitted to the necessary brain region to complete an action.

In the ADHD Brain

The basal ganglia has less gray matter. The messages sent to this circuit center in the brain may “short circuit,” which is related to many of the inattention, hyperactivity, learning, and memory-related symptoms you may see in ADHD.

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3. Corpus Callosum

The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It allows these two sides to communicate and transmit sensory, motor, and cognitive information. 

In the ADHD Brain

While research is still being done on the corpus callosum and ADHD, some studies have indicated that structural differences exist in the white matter of the corpus callosum in the ADHD brain. These differences affect the ability of the brain hemispheres to communicate efficiently with one another, which may affect the hyperactivity and inattention symptoms associated with ADHD.

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4. Limbic System

Like the basal ganglia, the limbic system comprises several brain structures involved in emotional responses and our core survival behaviors (e.g., eating, mating, and fight-or-flight). Four of the main structures in the limbic system are:

• The hypothalamus's roles include (but are not limited to) sleep regulation, mood regulation, experiencing hunger and thirst, and sexual arousal.
  

• The thalamus assists in sensory processing, sleeping and wakefulness, prioritizing attention, processing and regulating emotions, memory, and learning.
  

• The amygdala is one of the brain's major emotional centers. It processes fear, aggression, and anxiety and aids in social communication, emotional memory, and implicit (or unconscious) memory.
  

• The hippocampus is involved in short- and long-term memory and learning.

In the ADHD Brain

There are structural differences that may contribute to the intensity of felt emotions, difficulty regulating and coping with these emotions, increased impulsivity and hyperactivity, trouble with decision-making, and sleep-related issues. 

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In Conclusion

There is a lot of ongoing study and research to explore the different ways the ADHD brain is structured and functions. These insights emphasize the fact that ADHD is not just a set of behaviors or personality traits but neuroanatomical and neurological differences that underscore some of these complexities. This ongoing research gives us hope and keeps us engaged in understanding and supporting ADHD. Understanding these structural differences can aid in validating that the challenges you experience as a result of your ADHD are not flaws or a result of a lack of discipline, care, or anything else you may have heard or believed. The mind is complex and adaptable; gathering this knowledge about how the ADHD brain functions, processes information, and interacts in the world can help us garner further insight and empathy and assist in finding ways to better support and care for ourselves or those we love with ADHD.

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Further Reading

• PsychScene Hub
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Working with ADHD in Adults Introductory CEU Course for Clinicians
• Healthline

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