March 15, 2011 -- An attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis can make many aspects of learning more challenging for children and teens, but some adults with ADHD show signs of enhanced creativity, a study suggests.

ADHD is a behavioral disorder characterized by difficulty focusing, impulsive behaviors, and hyperactivity.

A study of 60 undergraduate students at the University of Memphis found that those with ADHD enjoyed more creative achievement then students without ADHD. College students with ADHD scored better on a series of tests that measured creativity in 10 areas, including drama, humor, music, visual arts, creative writing, invention, and scientific discovery.

The study is published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences.

“In addition to limitations, ADHD really provides a potential advantage is terms of creative thinking,” says study researcher Holly A. White, an assistant professor of cognitive psychology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. “While distraction can be a limitation in a traditional learning environment or workplaces with structured approaches, people with ADHD can be very innovative and generate useful and novel ideas.”

People with ADHD can take an idea and branch it out in lots of different directions, she says. By contrast, people without ADHD take a lot of ideas and pull them into central focus.