{{Short description|Syndrome of abnormally high activity}} {{redirect|Hyperactive|other uses|Hyperactive (disambiguation)}} '''Hyperactivity''' is a psychological or physical state of abnormally high activity, a symptom of certain medical or psychiatric conditions, and a common psychological syndrome.<ref name=Spetter>Spetter, D., Wertlieb, D. and Vashcencko, M.V. (2010). Hyperactivity. In ''The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology'' (eds I.B. Weiner and W.E. Craighead). https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0424</ref> As a behavioral descriptor, hyperactivity includes increased movement such as fidgeting or constant movement, talking too much, difficulty concentrating, and other manifestations.<ref name=Spetter /><ref name=Medline>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= April 1, 2024|title= Hyperactivity|url= https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003256.htm|website= MedlinePlus |location= |publisher= |access-date=October 4, 2025}}</ref>
The colloquial term ''hyper'' is an abbreviation of hyperactive.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thorne |first=Tony |title=Dictionary of Contemporary Slang |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |date=2014-02-27 |isbn=978-1-4081-8181-2 |chapter-url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dictionary_of_Contemporary_Slang/5He9AgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA228 |access-date=2025-10-04 |page=228|chapter=hyper}}</ref>
== Causes == === Medical and psychiatric conditions === Hyperactivity is associated with several medical and psychiatric or psychological conditions and can be a side effect of certain medications.
==== Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ==== {{Further|Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder#Causes}} Hyperactivity is a hallmark of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and developmentally inappropriate.{{refn|<ref name=DSM5>{{cite book |title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders |publisher=American Psychiatric Publishing |url=https://archive.org/details/diagnosticstatis0005unse/page/58/mode/2up?q=attention+deficit |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-89042-555-8 |edition=5th |location=Arlington |pages=59–65}}</ref><ref name=DSM5TR>{{cite book |title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders |edition=Fifth, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) |title-link=DSM-5-TR |publisher=American Psychiatric Publishing |date=February 2022 |isbn=978-0-89042-575-6 |oclc=1288423302 |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref><ref name="ICD-11">{{cite encyclopedia |title=6A05 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |date=February 2022<!-- The most recent update as of the access date --> |orig-date=2019<!-- This is when it was adopted by the World Health Assembly --> |url=https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/821852937 |encyclopedia=International Classification of Diseases |edition=11th |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-date=1 August 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180801205234/https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en%23/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/294762853#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/821852937 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="epa_consensus_2019" >{{cite journal |vauthors=Kooij JJ, Bijlenga D, Salerno L, Jaeschke R, Bitter I, Balázs J, Thome J, Dom G, Kasper S, Nunes Filipe C, Stes S, Mohr P, Leppämäki S, Casas M, Bobes J, Mccarthy JM, Richarte V, Kjems Philipsen A, Pehlivanidis A, Niemela A, Styr B, Semerci B, Bolea-Alamanac B, Edvinsson D, Baeyens D, Wynchank D, Sobanski E, Philipsen A, McNicholas F, Caci H, Mihailescu I, Manor I, Dobrescu I, Saito T, Krause J, Fayyad J, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Foeken K, Rad F, Adamou M, Ohlmeier M, Fitzgerald M, Gill M, Lensing M, Motavalli Mukaddes N, Brudkiewicz P, Gustafsson P, Tani P, Oswald P, Carpentier PJ, De Rossi P, Delorme R, Markovska Simoska S, Pallanti S, Young S, Bejerot S, Lehtonen T, Kustow J, Müller-Sedgwick U, Hirvikoski T, Pironti V, Ginsberg Y, Félegyházy Z, Garcia-Portilla MP, Asherson P |title=Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD |journal=European Psychiatry |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=14–34 |date=February 2019 |pmid=30453134 |doi=10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10651/51910}}</ref><ref name="Faraone_2021">{{cite journal |vauthors=Faraone SV, Banaschewski T, Coghill D, Zheng Y, Biederman J, Bellgrove MA, Newcorn JH, Gignac M, Al Saud NM, Manor I, Rohde LA, Yang L, Cortese S, Almagor D, Stein MA, Albatti TH, Aljoudi HF, Alqahtani MM, Asherson P, Atwoli L, Bölte S, Buitelaar JK, Crunelle CL, Daley D, Dalsgaard S, Döpfner M, Espinet S, Fitzgerald M, Franke B, Gerlach M, Haavik J, Hartman CA, Hartung CM, Hinshaw SP, Hoekstra PJ, Hollis C, Kollins SH, Sandra Kooij JJ, Kuntsi J, Larsson H, Li T, Liu J, Merzon E, Mattingly G, Mattos P, McCarthy S, Mikami AY, Molina BS, Nigg JT, Purper-Ouakil D, Omigbodun OO, Polanczyk GV, Pollak Y, Poulton AS, Rajkumar RP, Reding A, Reif A, Rubia K, Rucklidge J, Romanos M, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Schellekens A, Scheres A, Schoeman R, Schweitzer JB, Shah H, Solanto MV, Sonuga-Barke E, Soutullo C, Steinhausen HC, Swanson JM, Thapar A, Tripp G, van de Glind G, van den Brink W, Van der Oord S, Venter A, Vitiello B, Walitza S, Wang Y |title=The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=128 |pages=789–818 |date=September 2021 |pmid=33549739 |pmc=8328933 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022 |publisher=Elsevier BV |doi-access=free |issn=0149-7634}}</ref>}}<!-- quote=to a degree that is inconsistent with developmental level --> ADHD symptoms arise from executive dysfunction.{{refn|<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pievsky MA, McGrath RE |title=The Neurocognitive Profile of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of Meta-Analyses |journal=Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=143–157 |date=March 2018 |pmid=29106438 |doi=10.1093/arclin/acx055 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Schoechlin C, Engel RR |title=Neuropsychological performance in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: meta-analysis of empirical data |journal=Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology |volume=20 |issue=6 |pages=727–744 |date=August 2005 |pmid=15953706 |doi=10.1016/j.acn.2005.04.005}}</ref><ref name="Neuroplasticity 1">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hart H, Radua J, Nakao T, Mataix-Cols D, Rubia K |title=Meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of inhibition and attention in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: exploring task-specific, stimulant medication, and age effects |journal=JAMA Psychiatry |volume=70 |issue=2 |pages=185–198 |date=February 2013 |pmid=23247506 |doi=10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.277 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Joao P 2019">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hoogman M, Muetzel R, Guimaraes JP, Shumskaya E, Mennes M, Zwiers MP, Jahanshad N, Sudre G, Wolfers T, Earl EA, Soliva Vila JC, Vives-Gilabert Y, Khadka S, Novotny SE, Hartman CA, Heslenfeld DJ, Schweren LJ, Ambrosino S, Oranje B, de Zeeuw P, Chaim-Avancini TM, Rosa PG, Zanetti MV, Malpas CB, Kohls G, von Polier GG, Seitz J, Biederman J, Doyle AE, Dale AM, van Erp TG, Epstein JN, Jernigan TL, Baur-Streubel R, Ziegler GC, Zierhut KC, Schrantee A, Høvik MF, Lundervold AJ, Kelly C, McCarthy H, Skokauskas N, O'Gorman Tuura RL, Calvo A, Lera-Miguel S, Nicolau R, Chantiluke KC, Christakou A, Vance A, Cercignani M, Gabel MC, Asherson P, Baumeister S, Brandeis D, Hohmann S, Bramati IE, Tovar-Moll F, Fallgatter AJ, Kardatzki B, Schwarz L, Anikin A, Baranov A, Gogberashvili T, Kapilushniy D, Solovieva A, El Marroun H, White T, Karkashadze G, Namazova-Baranova L, Ethofer T, Mattos P, Banaschewski T, Coghill D, Plessen KJ, Kuntsi J, Mehta MA, Paloyelis Y, Harrison NA, Bellgrove MA, Silk TJ, Cubillo AI, Rubia K, Lazaro L, Brem S, Walitza S, Frodl T, Zentis M, Castellanos FX, Yoncheva YN, Haavik J, Reneman L, Conzelmann A, Lesch KP, Pauli P, Reif A, Tamm L, Konrad K, Oberwelland Weiss E, Busatto GF, Louza MR, Durston S, Hoekstra PJ, Oosterlaan J, Stevens MC, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Vilarroya O, Fair DA, Nigg JT, Thompson PM, Buitelaar JK, Faraone SV, Shaw P, Tiemeier H, Bralten J, Franke B |title=Brain Imaging of the Cortex in ADHD: A Coordinated Analysis of Large-Scale Clinical and Population-Based Samples |journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry |volume=176 |issue=7 |pages=531–542 |date=July 2019 |pmid=31014101 |pmc=6879185 |doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18091033}}</ref><ref name="Brown_2008">{{cite journal |vauthors=Brown TE |title=ADD/ADHD and Impaired Executive Function in Clinical Practice |journal=Current Psychiatry Reports |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=407–411 |date=October 2008 |pmid=18803914 |doi=10.1007/s11920-008-0065-7 |s2cid=146463279}}</ref><ref name="Malenka pathways">{{cite book |vauthors=Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE |veditors=Sydor A, Brown RY |title=Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience |year=2009 |publisher=McGraw-Hill Medical |location=New York |isbn=978-0-07-148127-4 |pages=148, 154–157 |edition=2nd |chapter=Chapter 6: Widely Projecting Systems: Monoamines, Acetylcholine, and Orexin |quote={{abbr|DA|dopamine}} has multiple actions in the prefrontal cortex. It promotes the 'cognitive control' of behavior: the selection and successful monitoring of behavior to facilitate attainment of chosen goals. Aspects of cognitive control in which DA plays a role include working memory, the ability to hold information 'on line' in order to guide actions, suppression of prepotent behaviors that compete with goal-directed actions, and control of attention and thus the ability to overcome distractions. Cognitive control is impaired in several disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ... Noradrenergic projections from the {{abbr|LC|locus coeruleus}} thus interact with dopaminergic projections from the {{abbr|VTA|ventral tegmental area}} to regulate cognitive control. ... it has not been shown that {{abbr|5HT|serotonin}} makes a therapeutic contribution to treatment of ADHD.}}</ref><ref name="Executive functions">{{cite journal |vauthors=Diamond A |title=Executive functions |journal=Annual Review of Psychology |volume=64 |pages=135–168 |year=2013 |pmid=23020641 |pmc=4084861 |doi=10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750 |quote={{abbr|EFs|executive functions}} and prefrontal cortex are the first to suffer, and suffer disproportionately, if something is not right in your life. They suffer first, and most, if you are stressed (Arnsten 1998, Liston et al. 2009, Oaten & Cheng 2005), sad (Hirt et al. 2008, von Hecker & Meiser 2005), lonely (Baumeister et al. 2002, Cacioppo & Patrick 2008, Campbell et al. 2006, Tun et al. 2012), sleep deprived (Barnes et al. 2012, Huang et al. 2007), or not physically fit (Best 2010, Chaddock et al. 2011, Hillman et al. 2008). Any of these can cause you to appear to have a disorder of EFs, such as ADHD, when you do not.}}</ref><ref name="Antshel_2014">{{cite book |vauthors=Antshel KM, Hier BO, Barkley RA |chapter=Executive Functioning Theory and ADHD |date=2014 |title=Handbook of Executive Functioning |pages=107–120 |veditors=Goldstein S, Naglieri JA |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-8106-5_7 |isbn=978-1-4614-8106-5}}</ref>}}
=== Diet === Popular belief and reports in the medical and scientific literature have linked various dietary exposures to hyperactivity. Although concerns have been expressed about a linkage between food additives and hyperactivity, there is no clear evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship.<ref name="amchova">{{cite journal |vauthors=Amchova P, Kotolova H, Ruda-Kucerova J |title=Health safety issues of synthetic food colorants |journal=Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology|volume=73 |issue=3 |pages=914–22 |date=December 2015 |pmid=26404013 |doi=10.1016/j.yrtph.2015.09.026 |url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273230015300751|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==== Sugar consumption ==== {{see also|Sugar#Cognition}} The majority of studies show no connection between sugar and hyperactivity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134299294 |title=Sweet disorder a hyper myth. |newspaper=The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) |location=ACT |date=4 February 1994 |accessdate=13 August 2014 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/children/9911/22/diet.sugar.myth.kids.wmd/ Busting the sugar-hyperactivity myth CNN]</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Cecil Adams |url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2747/does-giving-sweets-to-kids-produce-a-sugar-rush |title=Does giving sweets to kids produce a "sugar rush?" |publisher=The Straight Dope |date=2008-02-15 |accessdate=2011-05-31}}</ref> Some people, particularly parents and teachers, believe that sugar causes hyperactivity, and that children's behavior often gets more rowdy, excited and energetic after they eat too much sugary food and drink too many sugary drinks (such as chocolates/sweets or soft drinks). One particular study found that the perception by parents regarding their children's hyperactivity depended on their belief as to whether they had been given sugar, and thus, a placebo effect was observed.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hoover |first=Daniel |last2=Milich |first2=Richard |year=1994 |title=Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions |journal=Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology |volume=22 |pages=501–515 |pmid=7963081 |issue=4 |doi=10.1007/bf02168088}}</ref> Regardless of this, the studies conducted present that there is no correlation between sugar and hyperactivity.
==== Food dyes and additives ==== In the 20th century, widespread public belief that artificial food coloring causes ADHD-like hyperactivity in children originated from Benjamin Feingold, a pediatric allergist from California, who proposed in 1973 that salicylates, artificial colors, and artificial flavors cause hyperactivity in children.<ref>{{cite book |author=Feingold, B.F. |title=Introduction to clinical allergy |publisher=Charles C. Thomas |year=1973 |isbn=978-0-398-02797-1}}</ref> However, there is no clinical evidence to support broad claims that food coloring causes food intolerance and ADHD-like behavior in children.<ref>Tomaska LD and Brooke-Taylor, S. ''Food Additives – General'' pp. 449–454 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. {{ISBN|9780123786135}}</ref>{{rp|452}}<ref name="KavaleForness1983">{{cite journal|author=Kavale KA, Forness SR |title=Hyperactivity and Diet Treatment: A Meta-Analysis of the Feingold Hypothesis |journal=Journal of Learning Disabilities |volume=16 |issue=6 |year=1983 |pages=324–330 |issn=0022-2194 |doi=10.1177/002221948301600604|pmid=6886553 |s2cid=41744679 }}</ref> It is possible that certain food colorings may act as a trigger in those who are genetically predisposed.<ref name=FDAdyecomm/><ref name=Peds2012>{{cite journal |author=Millichap JG, Yee MM |title=The diet factor in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder|journal=Pediatrics |volume=129 |issue=2 | pages=330–337 |date=February 2012 |pmid=22232312|doi=10.1542/peds.2011-2199 |s2cid=14925322}}</ref>
The UK's Food Standards Agency commissioned a study of six food dyes, dubbed the "Southampton 6" (tartrazine, Allura Red AC (Red 40), Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow, sunset yellow, carmoisine), and sodium benzoate (a preservative) on children in the general population, who consumed them in beverages.<ref name="FDAdyecomm">{{cite web|author=FDA|title=Background Document for the Food Advisory Committee: Certified Color Additives in Food and Possible Association with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children:date|website=Food and Drug Administration|url=https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248549.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502145045/https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248549.pdf|archive-date=2017-05-02|date=March 30, 2011}}</ref><ref name=FSAguideline>Sarah Chapman of Chapman Technologies on behalf of Food Standards Agency in Scotland. March 2011 [Guidelines on approaches to the replacement of Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine in food and beverages]</ref> The study found "a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity" in the children;<ref name=FDAdyecomm /><ref name=FSAguideline /> the advisory committee to the FSA that evaluated the study also determined that because of study limitations, the results could not be extrapolated to the general population, and further testing was recommended.<ref name=FDAdyecomm />
== See also == * Hypoactivity * Locomotor activity
== References == {{reflist |2 ref}}
== External links == * [http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/hyperactivity.htm Symptom: Hyperactivity] * [http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/foodcolours British FSA announcement]
Category:Symptoms and signs of mental disorders Category:Human behavior