Face processing in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

ADHD is one of the most common and impairing psychiatric conditions affecting children today. Thus far, much of the phenomenological and neurobiological research has emphasized the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity which are thought to be mediated by frontostriatal alterations. However, increasing evidence suggests that ADHD involves emotional problems in addition to cognitive impairments. Here, we review the neurobiology of face processing and suggest that face-processing alterations offer a window into the emotional dysfunction often accompanying ADHD.