[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 "