Hyperkinesis comes of age: what do we know and where should we go?

The first heuristic description of the hyperkinetic impulse disorder made its appearance in the literature just over twenty years ago. Although there are many who are made restless and irritable by continuing ambiguities and controversies surrounding the hyperkinetic syndrome, the past two decades have brought considerable maturation in our knowledge of this concept. The present paper sketches the state of the art in regard to hyperkinesis, and draws conclusions about directions for both research and clinical work.