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'''Hyperfocus''' is a mental state often associated with ] (ADHD), a ] diagnosis that interprets inattentiveness and impulsiveness as symptoms of a ]. ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood, and thought to continue into adulthood for about 30% of individuals, when it is known as ] (AADD). Hyperfocus is also associated with ].
{{Short description|Intense form of mental concentration}}]


'''Hyperfocus''' is an intense form of ] ] or ] that focuses ] on a subject, topic, or task. In some individuals, various subjects or topics may also include ]s, ]s, ], the ], and other ]. Hyperfocus on a certain subject can cause side-tracking away from ] or important tasks.
==Defined==
The word ''hyperfocus'' derives from two other words: ''hyper'' and ''focus.'' According to the dictionary, ''hyper'' is defined as: ''Over; above; excessive.'' Under ''focus'', the dictionary suggests: ''To bring or come to a point.'' As used in reference to ADD/ADHD, ''hyperfocus'' means ''an intensive amount of attention confined to a small area''.


Psychiatrically, it is considered to be a trait of ] together with inattention, and it has been proposed as a trait of other conditions, such as ], and ] (ASD).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Kooij|first1=J. J. S.|last2=Bijlenga|first2=D.|last3=Salerno|first3=L.|last4=Jaeschke|first4=R.|last5=Bitter|first5=I.|last6=Balázs|first6=J.|last7=Thome|first7=J.|last8=Dom|first8=G.|last9=Kasper|first9=S.|date=1 February 2019|title=Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD|journal=European Psychiatry|volume=56|pages=14–34|doi=10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001|issn=0924-9338|pmid=30453134|doi-access=free|hdl=10651/51910|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name="webb" />
A mental state of hyperfocus could be considered good or bad, excessive or exceptionally productive, depending upon the circumstances and setting. One individual who feels he has ADD/ADHD with hyperfocus notes that "People say I can get a lot done when I am in gear." The same individual also points out that while in a hyperfocus state of mind, he often "loses track of time and other responsibilities."


One proposed factor in hyperfocus as a symptom involves the psychological theory of ], wherein one ] specializes in some neural functions and cognitive processes over others. Those who have a tendency to hyperfocus, such as those with ADHD, may experience a form of "]" where attention is dominant on one side of the brain, leading to preferential attention in some neural connections and processes over others overall.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zou |first1=Hongliang |last2=Yang |first2=Jian |date=December 6, 2018 |title=Exploring the Brain Lateralization in ADHD Based on Variability of Resting-State fMRI Signal |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054718816170 |journal=Journal of Attention Disorders |language=en |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=258–264 |doi=10.1177/1087054718816170 |pmid=30520697 |via=Sage Publications}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Helfer |first1=Bartosz |last2=Maltezos |first2=Stefanos |last3=Liddle |first3=Elizabeth |last4=Kuntsi |first4=Jonna |last5=Asherson |first5=Philip |date=2020-06-29 |title=Lateralization of attention in adults with ADHD: Evidence of pseudoneglect |journal=European Psychiatry: The Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=e68 |doi=10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.68 |issn=1778-3585 |pmc=7443776 |pmid=32594941}}</ref> While this idea is under study, it is not yet empirically proven.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j2VvjIBjdE0C&q=right+brain+dominance+hyperfocus&pg=PA11|title=Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child|last1=Freed|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Parsons|first2=Laurie|date=21 October 1998|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780684847931|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317101107|title=Behavioral and Physiological Bases of Attentional Biases: Paradigms, Participants, and Stimuli|last1=Pfabigan|first1=Daniela M.|last2=Tran|first2=Ulrich S.|date=21 August 2015|publisher=Frontiers Media SA|isbn=9782889196401|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=White|first1=Holly A.|last2=Shah|first2=Priti|date=1 April 2006|title=Uninhibited imaginations: Creativity in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder|journal=Personality and Individual Differences|volume=40|issue=6|pages=1121–1131|doi=10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.007|issn=0191-8869}}</ref>
==Views about special abilities in ADHD==
Some feel that ADHD children tend to look at situations in a different manner; they tend to look beyond the norm. "While students are learning the details of photosynthesis, the ADHD kids are staring out the window and pondering if it still works on a cloudy day" (Underwood). One positive side of impulsive behavior is the ability to try new things without trepidation. This is risky but can be useful in some circumstances: "Impulsivity isn't always bad. Instead of dithering over a decision, they're willing to take risks" (Underwood). ADHD does not necessarily slow down a person's learning process. In fact, some feel that ADHD can contribute to a faster or more comprehensive learning process. All agree that this can be aided if teachers implement effective teaching strategies geared specifically towards the ADHD learner.


Hyperfocus may bear a relationship to the concept of ].<ref name="webb">{{citation |first1=James T. |last1=Webb |first2=Edward R. |last2=Amend |first3=Nadia E. |last3=Webb |first4=Jean |last4=Goerss |first5=Paul |last5=Beljan |first6=F. Richard |last6=Olenchak |title=Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders |isbn=9780910707640 |publisher=Great Potential Press, Inc. |year=2005 |place=Scottsdale, AZ |pages=50–51 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQrtt-peg5AC&pg=PA50 |quote=…there are no empirical data that support hyperfocus as an aspect of ADD/ADHD. In gifted children without ADD/ADHD, this rapt and productive attention state is described by Csikszentmihalyi (1990) as ‘flow.’ … What has been coined ‘hyperfocus’ in persons with ADD/ADHD seems to be a less medical-sounding description of perseveration. Thus the apparent ability to concentrate in certain limited situations does not exclude the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. }}</ref> In some circumstances, both flow and hyperfocus can be an aid to achievement, but in other circumstances, the same focus and behavior could be a liability, distracting from the task at hand. However, unlike hyperfocus, "flow" is often described in more positive terms, suggesting they are not two sides of the same condition under contrasting circumstance or intellect.<ref name=":2" />
A few (some say "most") people with ADHD have a tendency to "hyperfocus" - focus very strongly on something which interests them. "When that same person is working on something that is interesting, it can be almost impossible to get that person to switch attention elsewhere. For some individuals, hyperfocus may be a very positive aspect of ADHD. When they are 'in gear', they claim to be very happy and may be very creative. Many of history's most famous and creative persons are thought to have had ADHD and displayed hyperfocus in their behavior."


== Psychiatric symptom ==
To see ADHD positively may seem somewhat problematic to anxious parents but it is at least a perspective that should be kept in mind.


Hyperfocus may in some cases also be symptomatic of a ] condition. In some cases, it is referred to as ]<ref name="webb" />—an inability or impairment in switching tasks or activities ("]"),<ref name="priory">.</ref> or desisting from mental or physical response repetition (gestures, words, thoughts) despite absence or cessation of a ].<ref name="Dict Bio Psych">{{Citation | contribution=Perseveration | year=2001 | title=Dictionary of Biological Psychology | editor-last=Winn | editor-first=Philip | page= | isbn=9780415136068 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbL2MZ9xI7oC&pg=PA595 | url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofbiol0000unse/page/595 }}</ref><ref name="Helm-Estabrooks">{{cite journal |author=Helm-Estabrooks N |title=The problem of perseveration |journal=Semin Speech Lang |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=289–90 |year=2004 |pmid=15599818 |doi=10.1055/s-2004-837241 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="PC def">{{cite web |url=http://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/2008/perseveration/ |website=Psych Central |title=Perseveration |last=Grinnell |first=Renée |year=2008 |access-date=13 September 2012 |archive-date=16 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016104639/http://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/2008/perseveration/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Di def"></ref> It is distinguished from ] (a highly repetitive ] behaviour).<ref name=":0" />
==Current medical and scientific views==
Hyperfocus is not a medically recognised term; it is not in the ] (]); and no article using the term appears in PubMed.


Conditions associated with hyperfocus or perseveration include ]s, particularly those considered to be on the ] and ] (ADHD). In ADHD, it may be a coping mechanism or a symptom of emotional self-regulation. So called "]" people, with high intellect and learning disabilities, may have either or both of hyperfocus and perseverative behaviours.<ref name="webb" /><ref name=":0" /> They are often mimicked by similar conditions involving ] or ], and lack of diagnosis and treatment may lead to further co-morbidity.<ref name=":0" />
Various special abilities have been suggested to occur in ADHD, including vigilance, response-readiness, enthusiasm, and flexibility (Jensen et al, J.Am.Acad.Ch.Ad.Psychiatry 36(12) 1997; Hartmann 1993: ADD: A different perception), but these are not actually characteristic of ADHD (Goldstein and Barkley, ADHD Report 6(5) 1998). Greater creativity has also been suggested (Shelley-Tremblay and Rosen 1996) but formal measures of this are no higher in children with ADHD than in controls (Funk et al.Pediatrics 91(4) 1993).


===ADHD ===
There are several possible reasons for the persistence of the notion that people with ADHD have this ability:


In ADHD, formulation and thinking can be slower than in ] people (though this is not universal), and may be "long-winded or tangential".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Goodin|first1=Kate|title=Famous People with ADHD|url=http://www.parenting.com/gallery/famous-people-with-add-or-adhd?page=16|website=Parenting|publisher=Meredith Corporation|access-date=22 August 2013|quote=David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue Airways … reported in an interview with ADDitude magazine his ADHD prevents him from being detail-oriented and completing doing day-to-day tasks, saying, ‘I have an easier time planning a 20-aircraft fleet than I do paying the light bill.’|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701212621/http://www.parenting.com/gallery/famous-people-with-add-or-adhd?page=16|url-status=dead}}</ref> These inattentive symptoms occur dually with what has been termed "hyperfocus" by the 2019 Updated European Consensus Statement on Adult ADHD.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kooij |first1=J. J. S. |last2=Bijlenga |first2=D. |last3=Salerno |first3=L. |last4=Jaeschke |first4=R. |last5=Bitter |first5=I. |last6=Balázs |first6=J. |last7=Thome |first7=J. |last8=Dom |first8=G. |last9=Kasper |first9=S. |last10=Filipe |first10=C. Nunes |last11=Stes |first11=S. |last12=Mohr |first12=P. |last13=Leppämäki |first13=S. |last14=Casas |first14=M. |last15=Bobes |first15=J. |date=2019 |title=Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/updated-european-consensus-statement-on-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-adult-adhd/707E2A36539213CF85EACCA576F47427 |journal=European Psychiatry |language=en |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=14–34 |doi=10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001 |pmid=30453134 |issn=0924-9338 |quote=Patients may also over-concentrate or ‘hyperfocus’. This phenomenon most commonly occurs when engaged in activities that the patient finds very interesting and/or provide instant gratification, such as computer games or online chatting. For such activities, concentration may last for hours on end, in a very focused manner.|hdl=10651/51910 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The over-concentration or hyperfocus often occurs if the person finds something "very interesting and/or provide(s) instant gratification, such as ]. For such activities, concentration may last for hours on end, in a very focused manner."<ref name=":0" />
*(a) well-recognised comorbidity of ADHD with ], of which excess focus is a part;
*(b) ADHD is a highly heterogeneous condition; special abilities certainly do occur in some people, and it is easy to overgeneralise from this minority to the whole ADHD group.
*(c) ADHD is a remarkably common primarily genetically determined disorder (4-8% of school age children) so it is difficult to see why evolution hasn't removed it unless it bestows some benefit.


ADHD is a difficulty in ''directing'' one's attention (an ] of the ]), ''not'' a lack of attention.<ref>2012 Burnett Lecture , Ph.D. by UNCCHLearningCenter, retrieved Aug 2013</ref><ref>2012 Burnett Lecture, , by UNCCHLearningCenter</ref><ref>2012 Burnett Lecture by UNCCHLearningCenter - Streamed live on 1 November 2012 Sponsored by the Academic Success Program for Students with LD and ADHD — a UNC-Chapel Hill Learning Center Program in the College of Arts and Sciences — and the UNC General Alumni</ref>
==Future research==


Conditions likely to be confused with hyperfocus often involve repetition of thoughts or behaviors such as ] (OCD), ],<ref name="differential">{{cite web |first=James Robert |last=Brasic |title=Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Differential Diagnoses |date=9 July 2012 |website=Medscape Reference |url=http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1826591-differential}}</ref> and some cases of ].<ref name="priory" />
While not medically proven, the fact that many adults with ADHD attribute successful work in their lives to accomplishments done while in a mental state they describe as "hyperfocus" is not completely discounted by the professional community. Rather, just as ADHD in adults is a relatively new area of learning in comparison with the condition in children, many feel that hyperfocus is an aspect of adult ADHD which is not well understood and has not yet been throughly researched.


==References== === Autism ===
Two major symptoms of ] (ASD) include repetitive sounds or movements and fixation on various things including topics and activities.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Ashinoff |first1=Brandon K. |last2=Abu-Akel |first2=Ahmad |date=2021 |title=Hyperfocus: the forgotten frontier of attention |journal=Psychological Research |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8 |issn=0340-0727 |pmc=7851038 |pmid=31541305}}</ref> Hyperfocus in the context of ASD has also been referred to as the inability to redirect thoughts or tasks as the situation changes (]).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Geurts |first1=Hilde M. |last2=Corbett |first2=Blythe |last3=Solomon |first3=Marjorie |date=1 February 2009 |title=The paradox of cognitive flexibility in autism |journal=Trends in Cognitive Sciences |language=en |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=74–82 |doi=10.1016/j.tics.2008.11.006 |pmid=19138551 |pmc=5538880 |issn=1364-6613}}</ref>
Hartmann, Thom. (1998) ''Healing ADD: Simple Exercises That Will Change Your Daily Life''. Underwood-Miller (1st ed.) ISBN 1887424377

One suggested explanation for hyperfocus in those with ASD is that the activity they are hyperfocused on is predictable. Aversion to unpredictable situations is a characteristic of ASD,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autism spectrum disorder - Symptoms and causes |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928 |access-date=12 March 2022 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref> while focusing on something predictable, they will have trouble changing to a task that is unpredictable.<ref name=":3" />

=== Schizophrenia ===
] is a mental condition characterized by a disconnect from reality, including ], disorganized thinking, and abnormal social behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Schizophrenia - Symptoms and causes |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443 |access-date=12 March 2022 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref> Recently, hyperfocus has come into attention as a part of the cognitive symptoms associated with the disorder. In this use, hyperfocus is an intense focus on processing the information in front of them. This hypothesis suggests that hyperfocus is the reason those afflicted with schizophrenia experience difficulty spreading their attention across multiple things.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Luck |first1=Steven J |last2=Hahn |first2=Britta |last3=Leonard |first3=Carly J |last4=Gold |first4=James M |date=11 September 2019 |title=The Hyperfocusing Hypothesis: A New Account of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbz063 |journal=Schizophrenia Bulletin |volume=45 |issue=5 |pages=991–1000 |doi=10.1093/schbul/sbz063 |pmid=31317191 |pmc=6737469 |issn=0586-7614}}</ref>

=== Psychopathy ===
Some research, such as that of Naomi Sadeh and Edelyn Verona, published in ''Neuropsychology'' in 2008,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sadeh |first1=Naomi |last2=Verona |first2=Edelyn |date=2008 |title=Psychopathic personality traits associated with abnormal selective attention and impaired cognitive control. |journal=Neuropsychology |language=en |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=669–680 |doi=10.1037/a0012692 |issn=1931-1559 |pmc=2538613 |pmid=18763886}}</ref> has suggested that psychopaths are hyperfocused on obtaining a reward and as a result their ability to use contextual cues, punishment or contextual information for adjusting their behaviour may be impaired. Moreover, they develop tunnel vision blocking out any peripheral stimulation (such as fear of achieving the goal).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dotterer |first1=Hailey L. |last2=Hyde |first2=Luke W. |last3=Shaw |first3=Daniel S. |last4=Rodgers |first4=Emma L. |last5=Forbes |first5=Erika E. |last6=Beltz |first6=Adriene M. |date=2020 |title=Connections that characterize callousness: Affective features of psychopathy are associated with personalized patterns of resting-state network connectivity |journal=NeuroImage. Clinical |volume=28 |pages=102402 |doi=10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102402 |issn=2213-1582 |pmc=7479442 |pmid=32891038}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Worthington |first1=Rachel |last2=Wheeler |first2=Suzanne |date=2023-01-01 |title=Hyperfocus and offending behaviour: a systematic review |url=https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-01-2022-0005 |journal=The Journal of Forensic Practice |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=185–200 |doi=10.1108/JFP-01-2022-0005 |issn=2050-8794}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
⚫ * ]
* ] (antonym)

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | author = Hartmann, T. | year = 1998 | title = Healing ADD: Simple Exercises That Will Change Your Daily Life | publisher = Underwood-Miller | edition = 1st | isbn = 1-887424-37-7 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/healingaddsimple00hart_0 }}
* {{ cite book | author = Hartmann, T. | year = 1997 | title = Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception | edition = 2nd | publisher = Underwood | isbn = 978-1887424141 }}
* {{ cite journal |author1=Goldstein, S. |author2=Barkley, R. A. | title = ADHD, hunting and evolution: "Just So" stories (commentary) | journal = ADHD Report | year = 1998 | volume = 6 | issue = 5 | pages = 1–4 }}
* {{cite journal | author1 = Jensen, P. S. | author2 = Mrazek, D. | author3 = Knapp, P. K. | author4 = Steinberg, L. | author5 = Pfeffer, C. | author6 = Schowalter, J. | author7 = Shapiro, T. | title = Evolution and Revolution in Child Psychiatry: ADHD as a Disorder of Adaptation | journal = Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | year = 1997 | volume = 36 | issue = 12 | pages = 1672–1681 | doi = 10.1097/00004583-199712000-00015 | pmid = 9401328 | url = http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/schools/school-of-medicine/departments/clinical-departments/psychiatry/training/medical-student-information/upload/Child-Psychiatry-Handout-B.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes|url=https://retroworldnews.com/the-best-foods-to-eat-and-to-avoid-when-managing-adhd/}}
* {{ cite journal |author1=Shelley-Tremblay, J. F. |author2=Rosén, L. A. | title = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: An Evolutionary Perspective | journal = The Journal of Genetic Psychology | year = 1996 | volume = 157 | issue = 4 | pages = 443–453 | doi = 10.1080/00221325.1996.9914877 | pmid = 8955426 }}
* {{ cite journal |author1=Funk, J. B. |author2=Chessare, J. B. |author3=Weaver, M. T. |author4=Exley, A. R. | title = Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, creativity, and the effects of methylphenidate | journal = Pediatrics | year = 1993 | volume = 91 | issue = 4 | pages = 816–819 |doi=10.1542/peds.91.4.816 | pmid = 8464673 |s2cid=23043636 }}
* {{ cite web | work = ADDitude magazine | year = 2008 | url = http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/612.html | author = Flippin, R. | title = ADHD Symptom: Hyperfocus }}

{{Pervasive developmental disorders}}
{{Autism resources}}


]
*] (ADD and ADHD)
]
*] (adult ADD or AADD)
]
⚫ *]
*] ]
] ]
]

Latest revision as of 17:27, 30 October 2024

Intense form of mental concentration
Monotropic and polytropic learning
Monotropic (hyperfocus) and polytropic learning

Hyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a subject, topic, or task. In some individuals, various subjects or topics may also include daydreams, concepts, fiction, the imagination, and other objects of the mind. Hyperfocus on a certain subject can cause side-tracking away from assigned or important tasks.

Psychiatrically, it is considered to be a trait of ADHD together with inattention, and it has been proposed as a trait of other conditions, such as schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

One proposed factor in hyperfocus as a symptom involves the psychological theory of brain lateralization, wherein one hemisphere of the brain specializes in some neural functions and cognitive processes over others. Those who have a tendency to hyperfocus, such as those with ADHD, may experience a form of "pseudoneglect" where attention is dominant on one side of the brain, leading to preferential attention in some neural connections and processes over others overall. While this idea is under study, it is not yet empirically proven.

Hyperfocus may bear a relationship to the concept of flow. In some circumstances, both flow and hyperfocus can be an aid to achievement, but in other circumstances, the same focus and behavior could be a liability, distracting from the task at hand. However, unlike hyperfocus, "flow" is often described in more positive terms, suggesting they are not two sides of the same condition under contrasting circumstance or intellect.

Psychiatric symptom

Hyperfocus may in some cases also be symptomatic of a psychiatric condition. In some cases, it is referred to as perseveration—an inability or impairment in switching tasks or activities ("set-shifting"), or desisting from mental or physical response repetition (gestures, words, thoughts) despite absence or cessation of a stimulus. It is distinguished from stereotypy (a highly repetitive idiosyncratic behaviour).

Conditions associated with hyperfocus or perseveration include neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly those considered to be on the autism spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In ADHD, it may be a coping mechanism or a symptom of emotional self-regulation. So called "twice exceptional" people, with high intellect and learning disabilities, may have either or both of hyperfocus and perseverative behaviours. They are often mimicked by similar conditions involving executive dysfunction or emotional dysregulation, and lack of diagnosis and treatment may lead to further co-morbidity.

ADHD

In ADHD, formulation and thinking can be slower than in neurotypical people (though this is not universal), and may be "long-winded or tangential". These inattentive symptoms occur dually with what has been termed "hyperfocus" by the 2019 Updated European Consensus Statement on Adult ADHD. The over-concentration or hyperfocus often occurs if the person finds something "very interesting and/or provide(s) instant gratification, such as computer games or online chatting. For such activities, concentration may last for hours on end, in a very focused manner."

ADHD is a difficulty in directing one's attention (an executive function of the frontal lobe), not a lack of attention.

Conditions likely to be confused with hyperfocus often involve repetition of thoughts or behaviors such as obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, and some cases of traumatic brain injury.

Autism

Two major symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include repetitive sounds or movements and fixation on various things including topics and activities. Hyperfocus in the context of ASD has also been referred to as the inability to redirect thoughts or tasks as the situation changes (cognitive flexibility).

One suggested explanation for hyperfocus in those with ASD is that the activity they are hyperfocused on is predictable. Aversion to unpredictable situations is a characteristic of ASD, while focusing on something predictable, they will have trouble changing to a task that is unpredictable.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental condition characterized by a disconnect from reality, including grandiose delusions, disorganized thinking, and abnormal social behavior. Recently, hyperfocus has come into attention as a part of the cognitive symptoms associated with the disorder. In this use, hyperfocus is an intense focus on processing the information in front of them. This hypothesis suggests that hyperfocus is the reason those afflicted with schizophrenia experience difficulty spreading their attention across multiple things.

Psychopathy

Some research, such as that of Naomi Sadeh and Edelyn Verona, published in Neuropsychology in 2008, has suggested that psychopaths are hyperfocused on obtaining a reward and as a result their ability to use contextual cues, punishment or contextual information for adjusting their behaviour may be impaired. Moreover, they develop tunnel vision blocking out any peripheral stimulation (such as fear of achieving the goal).

See also

References

  1. ^ Kooij, J. J. S.; Bijlenga, D.; Salerno, L.; Jaeschke, R.; Bitter, I.; Balázs, J.; Thome, J.; Dom, G.; Kasper, S. (1 February 2019). "Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD". European Psychiatry. 56: 14–34. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001. hdl:10651/51910. ISSN 0924-9338. PMID 30453134.
  2. ^ Webb, James T.; Amend, Edward R.; Webb, Nadia E.; Goerss, Jean; Beljan, Paul; Olenchak, F. Richard (2005), Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders, Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc., pp. 50–51, ISBN 9780910707640, …there are no empirical data that support hyperfocus as an aspect of ADD/ADHD. In gifted children without ADD/ADHD, this rapt and productive attention state is described by Csikszentmihalyi (1990) as 'flow.' … What has been coined 'hyperfocus' in persons with ADD/ADHD seems to be a less medical-sounding description of perseveration. Thus the apparent ability to concentrate in certain limited situations does not exclude the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD.
  3. Zou, Hongliang; Yang, Jian (6 December 2018). "Exploring the Brain Lateralization in ADHD Based on Variability of Resting-State fMRI Signal". Journal of Attention Disorders. 25 (2): 258–264. doi:10.1177/1087054718816170. PMID 30520697 – via Sage Publications.
  4. Helfer, Bartosz; Maltezos, Stefanos; Liddle, Elizabeth; Kuntsi, Jonna; Asherson, Philip (29 June 2020). "Lateralization of attention in adults with ADHD: Evidence of pseudoneglect". European Psychiatry: The Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists. 63 (1): e68. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.68. ISSN 1778-3585. PMC 7443776. PMID 32594941.
  5. Freed, Jeffrey; Parsons, Laurie (21 October 1998). Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780684847931.
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