Genes Could Be Linked to ADHD
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:03 am (Adult ADD/ADHD)
Variations would explain different attention-disorder symptoms, study suggests
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of gene variations that may be associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been identified by U.S. researchers.
Many of these genes were known to be involved in learning, behavior, brain function and neurodevelopment, but this is the first study to link them to ADHD. The findings appear in the June 23 online edition of Molecular Psychiatry.
“Because the gene alterations we found are involved in the development of the nervous system, they may eventually guide researchers to better targets in designing early intervention for children with ADHD,” study author Dr. Josephine Elia, a psychiatrist and ADHD expert at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a school news release.
