Emilio Mira y López's Perspectives on Understanding ADHD.

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to examine the contributions of Emilio Mira y López (1896-1964) to the early conceptualization and treatment of what is now known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It seeks to contextualize his ideas within broader historical, pedagogical, and psychiatric developments in Spain and internationally.

Method: A historical-analytical approach was employed, reviewing Mira y López's publications El niño que no aprende (The Child Who Does Not Learn, 1947), as well as related psychiatric and educational literature from the early 20th century. His work was analyzed alongside contributions from contemporaries and predecessors, with a focus on terminology, neurophysiological concepts, and early treatment strategies.

Results: Mira y López described the "unstable child" or "butterfly child" with symptoms that align closely with modern ADHD: impulsivity, distractibility, and lack of sustained attention. He proposed that these children suffer from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory brain functions, suggesting early therapeutic interventions including behavioral techniques and opotherapeutic (hormonal) medications. His research emphasized a medical and pedagogical approach to learning difficulties and prefigured ideas found in the emerging field of child psychopharmacology.

Conclusion: Emilio Mira y López's understanding of childhood instability reflected the influence of French and Anglo-American psychiatry and anticipated key elements of today's ADHD frameworks. His physiological model of inhibition mirrors Charles Bradley's "inhibition hypothesis," which led to the use of stimulants for hyperactivity. Mira's early proposals contributed to shaping a more comprehensive, interdisciplinary view of childhood mental health and learning difficulties in Spain and Latin America.