Increased Serum Netrin-1 Levels Among Children Diagnosed With ADHD

ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood characterized by altered projections of dopaminergic neurons and connectivity issues in various brain regions. In our study, we aim to investigate the potential effects of axon guidance molecules, Netrin-1 and Semaphorins 3A, 4D, and 7A, on these connectivity problems by examining the levels of these molecules in the peripheral blood of children with ADHD compared to healthy controls.

A total of 43 children with ADHD and 40 healthy controls 6 to 12 years of age were included in the study. The K-SADS-PL was administered to exclude any additional psychopathologies (excluding ODD in the ADHD group). The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale was provided to the children, while parents completed the revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Additionally, teachers of the ADHD group were given the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale. Furthermore, the WISC-4 was administered to assess the IQ profile of 35 children in the ADHD group.

Netrin-1 was found to be statistically higher in the ADHD group. When the R-CADS scores were recalculated taking the covariate into account, the significant increase in the ADHD group remained. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for semaphorin 3A, 4D, and 7A. The positive correlation of Netrin-1 with the hyperactivity subscores on the CPRS-R and the Global Executive Score on the BRIEF scale is noteworthy.

Netrin-1 may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between Netrin-1 and ADHD.