ADHD is a genetic disorder: Study

A new study has discovered that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a genetic condition and not the outcome of poor parenting or bad diet.

Scientists at Cardiff University, UK, found that children with ADHD were more likely than other children to have small segments of their DNA duplicated or missing.

The study found significant overlap between these segments and stated that the brains of children with the disorder differ from those of other children.

"We hope that these findings will help overcome the stigma associated with ADHD. Too often, people dismiss ADHD as being down to bad parenting or poor diet. As a clinician, it was clear to me that this was unlikely to be the case," said Professor Anita Thapar, co-author of the study.

Children with ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive and distractible, and experience difficulties at home and in school.

The team at Cardiff University analysed the genomes of 366 children, all of whom had been given a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, against over 1,000 control samples in search of variations in their genetic make-up that were more common in children with the condition.

"Children with ADHD have a significantly higher rate of missing or duplicated DNA segments compared to other children and we have seen a clear genetic link between these segments and other brain disorders," explained Dr Nigel Williams, senior lecturer in the department of psychological medicine and neurology at the Cardiff University School of Medicine.

"These findings gave us tantalising clues to the changes that can lead to ADHD."

The research was published in the journal The Lancet.