Increased zonulin is associated with hyperactivity and social dysfunctions in children with attention deficit

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Gonca Özyurt1, Yusuf Öztürk2, Yeliz Çağan Appak3

  • 1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Medical Faculty, İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey.

Comprehensive Psychiatry
|November 11, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children with ADHD show higher zonulin levels, a marker of gut permeability. Elevated zonulin is linked to increased hyperactivity and social functioning difficulties in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with disruptions in the brain-gut axis.
  • Increased intestinal permeability, indicated by elevated zonulin levels, has been observed in ADHD.
  • Zonulin's association with social impairment is noted in other neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and serum zonulin levels in children.
  • To examine the association between zonulin levels and social functioning difficulties in children with ADHD.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 40 children with ADHD and 41 healthy controls.
  • Assessment of ADHD symptoms using the DuPaul ADHD scale.
  • Evaluation of social functioning with the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS).
  • Quantification of serum zonulin levels via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Main Results:

  • Children with ADHD exhibited significantly higher serum zonulin levels compared to controls.
  • ADHD group showed greater impairments in social functioning.
  • Regression analysis indicated that hyperactivity symptoms and SRS scores independently predicted zonulin levels.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated serum zonulin levels in children with ADHD correlate with increased hyperactivity symptoms.
  • Higher zonulin levels are associated with impaired social functioning in children diagnosed with ADHD.
Abstract

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