Symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD tend to be considered a weakness. However, there are some benefits that have been scientifically analyzed. In particular, those suffering from ADHD are considered to be creative and dynamic people, socially and emotionally competent, and have high cognitive abilities.
But what about the origins of ADHD? Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania (United States of America), including David Barack, tried to trace the origins of this disorder in humans.
“ADHD and ADHD-like traits such as distractibility and impulsivity are widespread and often viewed as negative. But if they are truly negative, their persistence presents a conundrum,” Barack writes on the social network.
So is ADHD an important part of evolution? According to the current study, published in the scientific journal “The Royal Society”, one could say yes. This team of researchers believes that ADHD evolved as an adaptive survival strategy from our ancestors.
Fruit picking with ADHD
To get to the bottom of the matter, the researchers analyzed data from 457 adults, 206 of whom reported having more intense ADHD symptoms.
The experiment consisted of asking subjects to collect as many berries as possible from virtual bushes in a video game. They had a limited amount of time to do this, so the participants had to decide again and again whether to continue collecting in the same place or to move on and explore another bush. With this decision alone, they could lose valuable seconds.
The result showed that those with ADHD traits tended to move faster and spend less time on one bush and pick more fruit than the group without ADHD symptoms. The latter, in turn, tended to spend much more time on a single bush in the hope of optimizing yield.
The researchers were surprised by this behavior because they had assumed that a rapid transition from one bush to another would lead to lower yields. “But more intense ADHD symptoms lead to higher rates of reward and better performance,” says study author Barack.
Survival strategy
This tactic has advantages: it avoids mining resources in a single location while exploring new areas. A strategy that may have been vital to the survival of hunter-gatherers in the past.
Other studies They also support the evolutionary advantage hypothesis and have shown that a nomadic lifestyle is associated with genetic mutations that play a role in ADHD.
Yet traits that once worked well for foraging are no longer as favorable in today’s society because resources are no longer as limited.
Dopamine is the key to understanding people with ADHD versus those without the syndrome. This neurotransmitter breaks down more quickly in people with the disorder, forcing their bodies to constantly work to obtain it. This in turn causes the person to constantly move from one task to another without actually completing any of them.
However, the researchers also emphasize the need for further research, as these ADHD symptoms were based on subjects’ self-reports.
The next step will be to conduct a study with subjects diagnosed with ADHD and to set real-life foraging tasks that require more effort than an online game.
(aag/ers)
