Inhibitory control

Inhibitory control is the ability to suppress automatic responses, impulses, and thoughts that are irrelevant to the current context. It's one of the executive functions most affected in ADHD and the neurological basis of many of the condition's most visible symptoms.

Without efficient inhibitory control, a person acts before thinking through consequences, says things without a filter, can't ignore irrelevant stimuli (distraction), struggles to wait their turn, and has difficulty containing intense emotions before they spill over.

Inhibitory control depends directly on prefrontal cortex function and on the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems. That's why ADHD stimulant medications improve inhibitory control — by increasing the availability of dopamine and norepinephrine at prefrontal synapses.