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9% of American children suffer from Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Millions of American children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may suffer from genetic weakness, according to a recent US-Danish study.
In a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, researchers analyzed data from more than 55,000 children to identify 12 genes associated with the disease.
The researchers said in a report published on the journal's website, that these genes could affect the central nervous system and contribute to the discovery of new treatments for this disease, which affects more than 9% of American children.
"We all carry genetic variants of risk that cause hyperactivity," said Anders Burglum, professor of biomedicine at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and a member of the research team. "The more we have, the greater the risk of getting infected."
"The discovered genes share 200 diseases and other characteristics," he said. "Now, we understand better why some people contract the disease, paving the way for new and better treatment."
Borglum explained that the genes discovered show that the disease is primarily a brain disease and that it plays a role in the interaction of brain cells, as well as in speech growth and dopamine regulation (which transmits signals between brain cells).
"We found 12 genes on many – and we do not know a number – probably thousands of genes associated with ADHD," said Stephen Faroni, principal investigator of the study and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Syracuse University in America.
"We need more research to create a complete genetic map, because it's worth noting that drugs that work against ADHD do not target genes!"
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