MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Inappropriate levels of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention characterize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder. The cognitive function and learning ability of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are affected, and these symptoms may persist to adulthood if they are not treated. The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is only based on symptoms and objective tests for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are missing. Treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children include medications, behavior therapy, counseling, and education services which can relieve many of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but cannot cure it. There is a need for a molecular biomarker to distinguish attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from healthy subjects and other neurological conditions, which would allow for an earlier and more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment to be initiated. Abnormal expression of microRNAs is connected to brain development and disease and could provide novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The recent studies reviewed had performed microRNA profiling in whole blood, white blood cells, blood plasma, and blood serum of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A large number of microRNAs were dysregulated when compared to healthy controls and with some overlap between individual studies. From the studies that had included a validation set of patients and controls, potential candidate biomarkers for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children could be miR-140-3p, let-7g-5p, -30e-5p, -223-3p, -142-5p, -486-5p, -151a-3p, -151a-5p, and -126-5p in total white blood cells, and miR-4516, -6090, -4763-3p, -4281, -4466, -101-3p, -130a-3p, -138-5p, -195-5p, and -106b-5p in blood serum. Further studies are warranted with children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and consideration should be given to utilizing rat models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Animal studies could be used to confirm microRNA findings in human patients and to test the effects of targeting specific microRNAs on disease progression and behavior.