ADHD OCD - What is the Difference Between OCD and ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD usually fall at the extreme ends of the neurochemical spectrum, of which, in each case, one disorder should not come along the other. However, there where recorded instances when ADHD and OCD did comorbid or occur along with the other, sharing the same degree of severity and meeting at certain similarities. While both disorders are believed to be cause by biochemical imbalances in regions of the brain such ass the prefrontal cortex.

The biochemical imbalance in the prefrontal cortex happens when the level of dopamine or the free signaling neurotransmitter of the brain is lower in the region compared to other regions of the brain. This same condition has been recorded for all OCD and ADHD sufferers. Furthermore, it was observed that a reduction in blood circulation through the prefrontal cortex occurs in the brains of ADHD and OCD sufferers.

Since the prefrontal cortex serves as the region where the brain processes the control of behavior in lieu to the inhibitory judgments he or she makes, any amount of abnormalities in the brain can result to a malfunction. With low blood flow, brain activity is likely to reduce, coupled with the neurotransmitters sending distorted signals, the individual's ability to discern between what makes sense and what is irrational or his ability to inhibit himself or herself from doing unwanted responses and behaviors. In both cases then, whether ADHD or OCD, impulsive behavior is very likely.

Furthermore, for OCD sufferers, the prefrontal cortex shows the lack of underactivity, on the contrary, the prefrontal activity for OCD sufferers is thought to undergo overactivity, thus the obsession towards the thought. Here are other differences between ADHD and OCD:

- Glutamate which is a type of an amino acid is produced by the glutamatergic system. Both ADHD and OCD are thought to be associated with this system, differing only to the extent the glutamatergic activity is occurring. For ADHD is believed that the activity of the glutamatergic system is less than what is normal, this is conveniently referred to as hypnoglutamatergic disorder. In contrary, in OCD, hyperglutamateric disorder occurs, or the opposite of the previously discussed glutamatergic activity.

- In both ADHD and OCD, the cortivo-striato-thalamo-cortical region of the brain manifests the most irregular patterns. This goes to imply that there is really potential that despite being extremes of one another, there will be cases wherein both simultaneously occur. While gender also plays a role in defining the metabolic activities in the brain, no clearer proof has been established that gender will spell a big difference in terms of the extent of disturbances in this region between both sexes.

Experts still continue to work hard in order to establish the distinct causes of ADHD and OCD. But up until this point, the most the experts can offer is treatment from these disorders, while the cure is still not close from being discovered.