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Published on: April 1, 2018
A genetic study of ADHD and activity level in infancy
1SGDP Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, UK. nicholas.ilott@iop.kcl.ac.uk <nicholas.ilott@iop.kcl.ac.uk>
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and activity levels in 2-year-olds are heritable. Home-based activity levels show a stronger genetic link to ADHD than lab-based measures, aiding molecular genetic studies.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Genetics
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has significant genetic underpinnings, with the dopamine system implicated.
- Understanding the developmental origins of ADHD requires heritable, unbiased measures for genetic analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic basis of ADHD behaviors and activity levels in infancy.
- To assess the heritability and genetic correlations of ADHD symptoms and objective activity measures.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative genetic techniques applied to twin data from 2-year-olds.
- Objective measures of activity level (AL) in home and lab settings.
- Molecular association analyses of candidate genes (DAT1, NET1) linked to ADHD.
Main Results:
- ADHD symptoms, home AL, and lab AL are heritable phenotypes in 2-year-old infants.
- Home AL demonstrated a strong genetic correlation with ADHD symptoms, unlike lab AL.
- Modest associations were found between DAT1, NET1, and ADHD symptom scores, and DAT1 with lab AL.
Conclusions:
- Home-based activity levels are a more suitable phenotype than lab-based AL for studying ADHD genetics.
- Findings support the use of distinct measures for molecular genetic analyses of ADHD.
- Genetic correlations highlight the complex interplay between activity and ADHD symptomatology.
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