Advances in genetic findings on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

* Thapar A,
* Langley K,
* Owen MJ,
* O'donovan MC.

Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder with adverse consequences during adult life.

Family, twin and adoption studies show that genetic factors contribute to the aetiology of ADHD and that environmental factors also play a role.

Family and twin studies have shown the importance of genetic influences on continuity in ADHD over time and in accounting for the co-occurrence of ADHD and conduct disorder problems. Read more of the article...

Genetic Studies on Attention Deficit Disorder – ADHD show gene alterations that may contribute to ADD ADHD in some children. They are especially looking at the DRD4 dopamine receptor gene.

Familial Genetic Studies show that ADHD runs in families.

For example, a child with an older sibling with ADD ADHD is 300% to 500% more likely to himself have Attention Deficit Disorder than is a child without ADD ADHD siblings.

Twin studies and Adoption studies are also included.

Here are some facts from the NIMH on the genetics of ADHD, and some of the current research: Read more of the article...

The effects of essential fatty acid supplementation by Efamol in hyperactive children.

* Aman MG,
* Mitchell EA,
* Turbott SH.

Thirty-one children, selected for marked inattention and overactivity, were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation.

Subjects received the active treatment and placebo conditions for 4 weeks each and were assessed on a variety of cognitive, motor, and standardized rating scale measures.

EFA supplementation (evening primrose oil; Efamol) resulted in significantly lower levels of palmitoleic acid (a nonessential fatty acid) and higher concentrations of dihomogammalinolenic acid, an EFA previously found to be deficient in some hyperactive children. Read more of the article...

Supplementation with flax oil and vitamin C improves the outcome of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

* Joshi K,
* Lad S,
* Kale M,
* Patwardhan B,
* Mahadik SP,
* Patni B,
* Chaudhary A,
* Bhave S,
* Pandit A.

Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Pune, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra, India.

Considerable clinical and experimental evidence now supports the idea that deficiencies or imbalances in certain highly unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to a range of common developmental disorders including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Read more of the article...

The Oxford-Durham study: a randomized, controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental coordination disorder.

* Richardson AJ,
* Montgomery P.

University Laboratory of Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects approximately 5% of school-aged children. In addition to the core deficits in motor function, this condition is associated commonly with difficulties in learning, behavior, and psychosocial adjustment that persist into adulthood. Read more of the article...

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficulties.

Richardso AJ, and Puri BK.

University Department of Physiology, Oxford, England, UK.

The authors tested the prediction that relative deficiencies in highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) may underlie some of the behavioral and learning problems associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by studying the effects of HUFA supplementation on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficulties (mainly dyslexia) who also showed ADHD features. Read more of the article...

Effect of supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients on learning and behavior problems associated with child ADHD.

Sinn N, and Bryan J.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Reasearch Organization Human Nutrition, Adelaide, South Australia.

METHODS: Various developmental problems including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been linked to biological deficiencies in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Additionally, there is evidence that symptoms may be reduced with PUFA supplementation.

This study investigated effects of supplementation with PUFAs on symptoms typically associated with ADHD. Because nutrients work synergistically, additional effects of micronutrient supplementation were also investigated. Read more of the article...

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Burgess, JR, et al.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000,Vol. 71, No. 1, 327-330.

Several previous studies indicated that some physical symptoms reported in ADHD are similar to symptoms observed in essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency in animals and humans deprived of EFAs.

We reported previously that a subgroup of ADHD subjects reporting many symptoms indicative of EFA deficiency (L-ADHD) had significantly lower proportions of plasma arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid than did ADHD subjects with few such symptoms or control subjects. Read more of the article...

Essential fatty acid metabolism in boys with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Burgess, JR, et al.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1995; 62;761-68.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the term used to describe children who are inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive. The cause is unknown and is thought to be multifactorial.

Based on the work of others, we hypothesized that some children with ADHD have altered fatty acid metabolism. Read more of the article...