Kurt Cobain, Oscar Wilde, Picasso 'owe their success to ADHD'

London, Feb 4 (ANI): Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may help creative genius flourish, an expert has suggested.

ADHD is one of the most common behavioural problems in children, causing them to be restless, impulsive and inattentive.

Professor Michael Fitzgerald, of Trinity College, Dublin, believes that Kurt Cobain, Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde, Picasso and Sir Walter Raleigh all owed their success to "risk-taking" genes that play a role in ADHD, reports The Scotsman.

Prof Fitzgerald said: "People with ADHD have symptoms of inattentiveness, but they often also have a capacity to hyper-focus on a narrow area that is of particular interest to them.

"Clearly, ADHD is not a guarantee of genius, but the focused workrate that it produces may enable creative genius to flourish.

"For example, Kurt Cobain - who we know was prescribed the anti-hyperactivity drug Ritalin as a child - had an amazing ability to focus on writing music."

The expert conducted a study that identified ADHD as a recurring factor in the lives of many historic figures.

"The best evidence we have suggests that Lord Byron had ADHD," Prof Fitzgerald said.

"He had a turbulent life - at school he was often in trouble, and as an adult he engaged in criminal activities and was eventually forced to flee the country. But he was also the greatest lyric poet in the English language.

"Similarly, Sir Walter Raleigh was a reckless character, but his insatiable quest for new stimulation and risk-taking behaviour also made him a famous soldier, adventurer and explorer," the expert said.

Andrea Bilbow, from the Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS), said: "There are young people who do well and are very creative, but the question is are they creative because of or in spite of (their ADHD]?

"We have to be careful that we don't give the credit for their own gifts to their condition." (ANI)