Question: Dr. Barkley, thank you for letting us pick your brain!
  
  How far are we from having a physical diagnostic test for ADHD, (i.e. fMRI, genetic testing)? 
  
  Do you think expansion in this area will help us narrow down where people fall on the spectrum? 
  
  Do you think having a “concrete” test will help dispel some of the misinformation surrounding ADHD and lead to earlier, faster diagnosis?
  
  Like many other adults during quarantine, I was diagnosed at 42. I am still absolutely astonished that it was missed during grade school and absolutely appalled at the hurdles that we have to jump to get treatment. 
  
  I see new posts daily about someone being told “adults can’t have ADHD” “you can read, you don’t have it” “you got good grades, it’s not affecting you”. I don’t know how some of these people are still allowed to practice.
  
  Thank you for being one of the, wait, THE main good guy!
Answer: Thanks so much for your support of my work.  To date we have no test, despite some neuropsychologists using testing for diagnosis.  I have written extensively against this as its very inaccurate and misleading.  As for biological or lab tests, there is the chance in the near future that neuroimaging or genetic testing will be found to be sufficiently accurate to diagnose individuals.  Now they are just useful for comparing groups of ADHDs to NTs and watching for mean differences.  That does not help us with diagnosing individuals even if it can help with discovering some scientifically useful information.  So, yes, neurology and genetics might offer us a lab task but not yet.  And if someone tells you they have it, like a SPECT scan for diagnosis or genetic testing for risk genes, they don't.  Steer clear and save your money.
content: Q: Dr. Barkley, thank you for letting us pick your brain!
  
  How far are we from having a physical diagnostic test for ADHD, (i.e. fMRI, genetic testing)? 
  
  Do you think expansion in this area will help us narrow down where people fall on the spectrum? 
  
  Do you think having a “concrete” test will help dispel some of the misinformation surrounding ADHD and lead to earlier, faster diagnosis?
  
  Like many other adults during quarantine, I was diagnosed at 42. I am still absolutely astonished that it was missed during grade school and absolutely appalled at the hurdles that we have to jump to get treatment. 
  
  I see new posts daily about someone being told “adults can’t have ADHD” “you can read, you don’t have it” “you got good grades, it’s not affecting you”. I don’t know how some of these people are still allowed to practice.
  
  Thank you for being one of the, wait, THE main good guy!
   Ans: Thanks so much for your support of my work.  To date we have no test, despite some neuropsychologists using testing for diagnosis.  I have written extensively against this as its very inaccurate and misleading.  As for biological or lab tests, there is the chance in the near future that neuroimaging or genetic testing will be found to be sufficiently accurate to diagnose individuals.  Now they are just useful for comparing groups of ADHDs to NTs and watching for mean differences.  That does not help us with diagnosing individuals even if it can help with discovering some scientifically useful information.  So, yes, neurology and genetics might offer us a lab task but not yet.  And if someone tells you they have it, like a SPECT scan for diagnosis or genetic testing for risk genes, they don't.  Steer clear and save your money.