Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a childhood prevalence of 5%. In about two-thirds of the cases, ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood and often cause significant functional impairment. Based on the results of family and twin studies, the estimated heritability of ADHD approximates 80%, suggests a significant genetic component in the etiological background of the disorder; however, the potential genetic effects on disease risk, symptom severity, and persistence are unclear. This article provides a brief review of the genome-wide and candidate gene association studies with a focus on the clinical aspects, summarizing findings of ADHD disease risk, ADHD core symptoms as dimensional traits, and other traits frequently associated with ADHD, which may contribute to the susceptibility to other comorbid psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, neuropsychological impairment and measures from neuroimaging and electrophysiological paradigms, emerging as potential biomarkers, also provide a prominent target for molecular genetic studies, since they lie in the pathway from genes to behavior; therefore, they can contribute to the understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and the interindividual heterogeneity of clinical symptoms. Beyond the aforementioned aspects, throughout the review, we also give a brief summary of the genetic results, including polygenic risk scores that can potentially predict individual response to different treatment options and may offer a possibility for personalized treatment for the therapy of ADHD in the future.
Highlights
Due to its high heritability and neurodevelopmental nature, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition receiving significant interest in psychiatric genetics
Genetics in the Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Clinic the aforementioned aspects, we present the relevant results of the polygenic risk score (PRS) approach (Torkamani et al, 2018; Martin et al, 2019; Ronald et al, 2021), which can individually estimate the genetic liability for the disorder and ADHD-related traits, thereby offering further insight into the background of the symptomatic and genetic heterogeneity characterizing ADHD
Without claiming to be exhaustive, we intended to give an overview of the genetic results relevant to the clinical practice of ADHD and the emerging issues
Summary
Due to its high heritability and neurodevelopmental nature, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition receiving significant interest in psychiatric genetics. The childhood prevalence is 5–7% (Polanczyk et al, 2007), and in one-third of patients, symptoms persist into adulthood (Franke et al, 2018), causing functional impairment of everyday life. Due to the dimensional feature of the core symptoms – inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity– and somewhat subjective approach to determine the extent of functional impairment, mapping of possible genetic risk factors for ADHD remains important in both clinical and population samples. Genetics in the ADHD Clinic the aforementioned aspects, we present the relevant results of the polygenic risk score (PRS) approach (Torkamani et al, 2018; Martin et al, 2019; Ronald et al, 2021), which can individually estimate the genetic liability for the disorder and ADHD-related traits, thereby offering further insight into the background of the symptomatic and genetic heterogeneity characterizing ADHD. Despite the many limitations to its application, it might hold the promise of creating a bridge between research and the clinic, from ‘bench to bedside.’
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
