Paleopsychology and Complexity Theory: Mania, ADHD, ODD, Dysthymia and Hierarchic Regulation

The following is an abstract of a paper to be presented at the coming Paul MacLean Festschrift, July 16-17, 1999.
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Ideas from evolutionary theory and complexity theory have synergistic relevance to alliances and hierarchies and to their 4 derivative clinical syndromes --- mania, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dysthymia. These "externalizing disorders" reflect dissonance between our striatal "go" origins and our newer refinements for social regulation and response inhibition.
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An alliance increases the range of traits that are available to any member but slows decisions by the participants. Larger alliances lead to slower decisions than smaller ones. Hierarchy simplifies information swaps between members of the group for the jobs of acquiring food and mates, defending boundaries, removing waste, and defending self interest whether against predators, competitors, and pathogens or against peers, mates and offspring. Because hierarchies form so quickly, decision latencies do not erupt when the group increases in size.
Hierarchy allows self interest to operate within a group context. The negotiation between self interest and reciprocity is vital in alliances and hierarchies and can lead to survival and reproductive failure if handled badly, to contentment and sturdy children if handled well.
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Concepts of fitness, natural selection, and sexual selection are relevant. "Fitness" allows some understanding of linear hierarchies while executive functions are key tools that manage reciprocity with peers and with our physical niches. High activity level along with enhanced performance accuracy and other traits (higher I.Q. and vocabulary) appear to be maintained by sexual selection, promoting long term species survival by regenerating behavioral variability. High activity level is one component of fitness but may be dissociated from the other components in disorders such as ADHD.
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An introduction to Kauffman's triphasic model will be given in order to analyze mania, ADHD, and dysthymia in a broader context than previously attempted. Kauffman's model --- paraphrased here as "paralysis-flexibility-stereotypy" --- evolved as a dynamic summary of genetic actions; because it is a decision model with mathematical foundation, it also likely applies to our social groups and our individual behavioral excesses.
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"Executive functions" (also called "algorithms") correspond to Kauffman's "flexibility" (phase transition) range and the concept helps us to distinguish mania from ADHD and dysthymnia from the other depressions. Executive functions consist of working memory, word retrieval, thought sequencing, time sense, generation of plans, sharing of plans, reflection on outcomes, affect inhibition or kindling, problem analysis, and problem solution. This phase is associated with decisions that occur relatively quickly but more tentatively as we change our minds in response to more subtle feedback.
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Mania, generally associated with fitness, is inconsistent with a "simple fitness" model wherein a little mania is good for us and a lot of it is better. Mania is aggravating in particular niches and in combination with other assets of the carrier. Excessive grandiosity (a severing of reciprocal ties with peers) puts mania near the "stereotypy" segment of Kauffman's model and is associated with heightened individual variability and independent action. By definition, the severing of influence by consequences and from other people (grandiosity) is a larger social irritant than a high activity level.
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ADHD is handicapped not by activity level (an asset) but through lapses in executive functions (a liability). ADHD, like mania, is characterized by heightened variability in personal behavior but is more reactive and error prone. In contrast, mania --- to the extent that executive functions are intact --- has exceptional personal goal direction even if it excludes the interests of partners. Both mania and ADHD advertise themselves with high activity and both corrode social reciprocity but for different reasons.
It appears that there are NO conditions under which ADHD can be viewed as an "adaptation" if ADHD is defined in reference to intact executive functions. Mania may have enhanced fitness characteristics in some niches but can be a substantial impairment in mutualistic ones that are characterized by formal cooperation and extensive social rules.
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Dysthymia combines traits of ADHD and mania. Excessive grandiosity in combination with impaired executive functions leads to chronic inconsistency between goals and outcomes. Ineffective problem solving is associated with an over reliance on demanding help from others and an expectation that the recipient is entitled to everything that they can get and to much that they cannot. A "will to power" occurs in many dysthymics; their complaints have a tremendous potential not for self lowering but as a tool for manipulating other people and maintaining a relatively stronger position in hierarchies.
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Thus, some of the treatment puzzles about mania, ADHD, ODD, and dysthymia are amenable to a sociobiological approach that includes ideas from complexity and evolutionary theories. Examples and treatment options are sketched for all 4 disorders.
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The paper will be published as part of a 2 volume set by Praeger Greenwood.

Copyright, James Brody, 1999, all rights reserved.

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