ADHD is a genetic anomaly, scientists say

ADHD is genetic

Children who suffer from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been found to have a genetic defect that increases their likelihood to manifest the condition, according to a new study by British scientists.

The study, which is to be published online in The Lancet journal on September 30, strengthens the existing theory that the condition is not merely caused by environmental or social factors but also by an inherent biological abnormality.
ADHD is found in approximately three to five percent of children in the United States, the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health says.

“ADHD is a complex disorder, and we have known for quite some time that it has a strong genetic composition,” said Nigel Williams, study leader and senior lecturer at the Cardiff University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology .

“This is directly supported by our results, which provide direct evidence that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder,” Williams added.

The researchers studied DNA samples of 366 children diagnosed with the condition and compared them to samples taken from 1,047 kids who did not have ADHD.

They found out that those with ADHD had missing or duplicate parts of DNA called copy number variations (CNVs), a common finding in other brain diseases, than those who were without ADHD.

There was a significant overlap between ADHD CNVs and autism or schizophrenia CNVs.

A particular defect in chromosome 16, which has been earlier linked to psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, has also been discovered in the subjects with ADHD.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Friday October 01 2010, 2:40 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0