SINGAPORE: Brain scans may help doctors divide people with ADHD into three distinct subtypes, each with unique clinical profiles.

A study involving Monash University and Chinese researchers found that people with ADHD could be divided into the subtypes: severe-combined with emotional dysregulation, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and predominantly inattentive. These subtypes showed different alterations inbrain regions and had different patterns of receptors for key brain chemicals, the researchers say.

This offers a framework for dividing people with ADHD into clinically meaningful groups, which may ultimately create a path towards personalised treatments, they say.