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From National Institute of Mental Health

Genes play an important role in ADHD according to twin studies, but the exact causes are unknown. Researchers are studying possible environmental and biological factors like brain injuries, exposure to substances like lead or tobacco during pregnancy, premature birth, and low birth weight. While certain factors may worsen symptoms, research does not support claims that sugar, television, parenting, or poverty directly cause ADHD. The causes are likely complex and multifactorial.

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50 views4 pages

From National Institute of Mental Health

Genes play an important role in ADHD according to twin studies, but the exact causes are unknown. Researchers are studying possible environmental and biological factors like brain injuries, exposure to substances like lead or tobacco during pregnancy, premature birth, and low birth weight. While certain factors may worsen symptoms, research does not support claims that sugar, television, parenting, or poverty directly cause ADHD. The causes are likely complex and multifactorial.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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[From National Institute of Mental Health]

What causes ADHD?


Scientists are not sure what causes ADHD, although many stu ies suggest that genes !lay a large role" #i$e many other illnesses, ADHD !ro%a%ly results from a com%ination of factors" In a ition to genetics, researchers are loo$ing at !ossi%le en&ironmental factors, an are stu ying how %rain in'uries, nutrition, an the social en&ironment might contri%ute to ADHD" (enes" Inherite from our !arents, genes are the )%lue!rints) for who we are" *esults from se&eral international stu ies of twins show that ADHD often runs in families" *esearchers are loo$ing at se&eral genes that may ma$e !eo!le more li$ely to e&elo! the isor er" +,, -nowing the genes in&ol&e may one ay hel! researchers !re&ent the isor er %efore sym!toms e&elo!" #earning a%out s!ecific genes coul also lea to %etter treatments" A stu y of chil ren with ADHD foun that those who carry a !articular &ersion of a certain gene ha&e thinner %rain tissue in the areas of the %rain associate with attention" .his research showe that the ifference was not !ermanent, howe&er, an as chil ren with this gene grew u!, the %rain e&elo!e to a normal le&el of thic$ness" .heir ADHD sym!toms also im!ro&e " / *esearchers are also stu ying genetic &ariations that may or may not %e inherite , such as u!lications or eletions of a segment of DNA" .hese )co!y num%er &ariations) 01N2s3 can inclu e many genes" Some 1N2s occur more fre4uently among !eo!le with ADHD than in unaffecte !eo!le, suggesting a !ossi%le role in the e&elo!ment of the isor er"5,6

7n&ironmental factors" Stu ies suggest a !otential lin$ %etween cigarette smo$ing an alcohol use uring !regnancy an ADHD in chil ren"8,9: In a ition, !reschoolers who are e;!ose to high le&els of lea , which can sometimes %e foun in !lum%ing fi;tures or !aint in ol %uil ings, ha&e a higher ris$ of e&elo!ing ADHD"99 <rain in'uries" 1hil ren who ha&e suffere a %rain in'ury may show some %eha&iors similar to those of ADHD" Howe&er, only a small !ercentage of chil ren with ADHD ha&e suffere a traumatic %rain in'ury" Sugar" .he i ea that refine sugar causes ADHD or ma$es sym!toms worse is !o!ular, %ut more research iscounts this theory than su!!orts it"9= In one stu y, researchers ga&e chil ren foo s containing either sugar or a sugar su%stitute e&ery other ay" .he chil ren who recei&e sugar showe no ifferent %eha&ior or learning ca!a%ilities than those who recei&e the sugar su%stitute"9> Another stu y in which chil ren were gi&en higher than a&erage amounts of sugar or sugar su%stitutes showe similar results"9+ In another stu y, chil ren who were consi ere sugar?sensiti&e %y their mothers were gi&en the sugar su%stitute as!artame, also $nown as Nutrasweet" Although all the chil ren got as!artame, half their mothers were tol their chil ren were gi&en sugar, an the other half were tol their chil ren were gi&en as!artame" .he mothers who thought their chil ren ha gotten sugar rate them as more hy!eracti&e than the other chil ren an were more critical of their %eha&ior, com!are to mothers who thought their chil ren recei&e as!artame"9, Foo a iti&es" .here is currently no research showing that artificial foo coloring causes ADHD" Howe&er, a small num%er of chil ren with ADHD may %e sensiti&e to foo yes, artificial fla&ors, !reser&ati&es, or other foo a iti&es" .hey may e;!erience fewer ADHD sym!toms on a iet without a iti&es, %ut such iets are often ifficult to maintain"9=,9/

[Taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]


Causes of ADHD

Scientists are stu ying cause0s3 an ris$ factors in an effort to fin %etter ways to manage an re uce the chances of a !erson ha&ing ADHD" .he cause0s3 an ris$ factors for ADHD are un$nown, %ut current research shows that genetics !lays an im!ortant role" *ecent stu ies of twins lin$ genes with ADHD"9 In a ition to genetics, scientists are stu ying other !ossi%le causes an ris$ factors inclu ing@
Brain injury Environmental exposures (e.g., lead) Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy Premature delivery Lo birth eight

Did you Know?

While some in i&i uals, inclu ing many !rofessionals, still refer to the con ition as )ADD) 0attention eficit isor er3, this term is no longer in wi es!rea use" For those who may ha&e %een iagnose with ADD, the corres!on ing iagnostic category, using current terminology, woul most li$ely %e )ADHD, Are ominantly Inattenti&e .y!e)" *esearch oes not su!!ort the !o!ularly hel &iews that ADHD is cause %y eating too much sugar, watching too much tele&ision, !arenting, or social an en&ironmental factors such as !o&erty or family chaos" Bf course, many things, inclu ing these, might ma$e

sym!toms worse, es!ecially in certain !eo!le" <ut the e&i ence is not strong enough to conclu e that they are the main causes of ADHD" For more information a%out cause0s3 an ris$ factors, &isit the National *esource 1enter on ADHD or the National Institute of Mental Health "

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