ADHD Linked to Genes - By: Jenn Pierson

A new study has found direct evidence linking Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to genetic makeup.

The study was conducted by a team of British scientists who scanned gene maps of over 1,400 children. The researchers discovered the children with ADHD were more likely to have small pieces of their DNA missing or duplicated, according to a Sept. 30 Reuters article. The scientists came to this conclusion after comparing the abnormal samples to the DNA of 1,047 children in the study without ADHD.

The DNA irregularities among ADHD children were most prevalent in the same region where schizophrenia and autism is believed to develop, solidifying the belief ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition.

"Too often, people dismiss ADHD as being (due) to bad parenting or poor diet," said Anita Thapar, the study's lead researcher and a professor of psychiatry at Cardiff University. "Now we can say with confidence that ADHD is a genetic disease and that the brains of children with this condition develop differently to those of other children."

ADHD is commonly diagnosed in childhood and causes impulsiveness, restlessness and difficultly focusing on tasks. It affects roughly two million U.S. children and three to five percent of the global child population worldwide. Medication and behavioral therapy are the most common forms of ADHD treatment.

The new findings are expected to help researchers develop better methods for ADHD treatment. However, it is doubtful the findings will lead to the development of an ADHD genetic test, as many experts in the field consider environment as factoring into the cause as well.

Pesticide also an ADHD factor?
Speaking of environmental factors, another recent study suggests children with high levels of the pesticide malathion in their urine are at a greater risk of developing ADHD.

Previous studies have also noted a correlation between child exposure to pesticide and the development of behavior disorders. But the new study is the first to base its findings on a general U.S. population sample rather than on children from farmworking families or those living in locations where higher chemical exposure is more prevalent, according to a May 16 Los Angeles Times article.

The study compared data on 1,139 children from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted from 2000 to 2004. The findings concluded children with malathion metabolite levels 10 times the normal rate are 55 percent more likely to have ADHD. Researchers were able to determine from personal interviews with parents which children had been formally diagnosed with ADHD prior to taking the survey.

Malathion is a commonly used pesticide and insecticide used in both residential and agricultural settings. Researchers estimate the majority of participants in the study were exposed to the malathion through food consumption.
Malathion tends to stay in the body less than five days and is known to fluctuate in its content levels. However, researchers believe if the study participants maintain the diet in which the data is based on, the report can be viewed as a reasonable estimate of their average malathion levels.

About the Author

Author: C. Stephen Edwards, MD, Lindner Center of HOPE, Director, Adolescent Psychiatry

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Jenn-Pierson/119146

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