APA Dictionary of Psychology

minimal brain dysfunction (MBD)

Updated on 04/19/2018

a relatively mild impairment of brain function that is presumed to account for a variety of soft signs seen in certain learning or behavioral disabilities. These signs include short attention span, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, emotional lability, poor motor coordination, visual-perceptual disturbance, and language difficulties. Also called minimal brain damage; minimal cerebral dysfunction.
an obsolete name for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

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