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Updated: May 30, 2026
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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills
Published on: September 17, 2019
A longitudinal twin study on the association between ADHD symptoms and reading
Corina U Greven1, Frühling V Rijsdijk, Philip Asherson
1King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. corina.greven@kcl.ac.uk
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms predict reading problems, with shared, stable genetic factors underlying this link. Inattentive ADHD symptoms were particularly influential in predicting reading difficulties over time.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Behavioral genetics
- Child psychiatry
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability frequently co-occur.
- Shared genetic risk factors are implicated in the comorbidity of ADHD and reading disability.
- Longitudinal stability and predictive relationships of genetic influences remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal predictive relationships between ADHD symptoms and reading.
- To examine the role of shared genetic and environmental influences on the association between ADHD and reading over time.
- To assess the stability of genetic factors contributing to ADHD and reading.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a UK general population twin sample (approx. 7,000 pairs).
- Assessed ADHD symptoms (parent-rated) and reading (teacher-rated) as continuous dimensions at two time points: middle childhood (7-8 years) and early adolescence (11-12 years).
- Applied cross-lagged quantitative genetic analyses to examine longitudinal associations and their genetic underpinnings.
Main Results:
- ADHD symptoms and reading ability significantly predicted each other across time.
- ADHD symptoms were a stronger predictor of reading than vice versa, with inattentive symptoms being a particularly strong predictor.
- Both ADHD symptoms and reading were highly heritable, and their association was primarily driven by stable, shared genetic influences.
Conclusions:
- ADHD symptoms increase the risk for reading problems, and reading difficulties may also predict ADHD symptoms.
- Enduring genetic mechanisms play a crucial role in the longitudinal association between ADHD symptoms and reading.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering shared genetic factors in understanding the comorbidity of ADHD and reading difficulties.
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