Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Centralized Pain: A
review of the case of John F. Kennedy
Abstract
Rationale : A previous study reported Mr. A who had chronic low
back pain (LBP) as a typical patient of centralized pain. John
Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK, 1917-1963), the 35th President of the USA,
shares a surprisingly similar history to Mr. A. JFK also had chronic LBP
(which contributed to his death), centralized pain, and various medical
problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). JFK’s biographies are
filled with tales of the President’s inattention and hyperactivity. In
recent years, it has been reported that attention deficit hyperactive
disorder (ADHD) is associated with centralized pain and chronic LBP, and
it is thought that JFK had ADHD characteristics. This article provides a
literature review of JFK’s potential diagnosis of ADHD.
Methods : Based on Kennedy’s biographies, we identified episodes
in JFK’s life suggestive of ADHD as specified in the DSM-5.
Results : JFK could have had ADHD of the combined type.
Conclusion : ADHD has been suggested to be associated with
central nervous system dysfunction in chronic pain. In addition to LBP,
JFK suffered from IBS, insomnia, malabsorption, hypothyroidism, and
allergies, which are all physical disorders associated with ADHD. ADHD
appears to be a plausible cause of the numerous illnesses that afflicted
JFK.
Keywords : John Fitzgerald Kennedy, centralized pain, ADHD, low
back pain, irritable bowel syndrome