Study Reveals Unique Gene Activity in ADHD Brains

additudemag.com:

November 18, 2022ADHD brains exhibit unique differences in the expression of genes used to code neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that power attention and communication, among other brain functions.

This is the finding of a new study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH) that uncovered a key difference in gene activity in the brains of individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).1The study, led by scientists at the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and published in Molecular Psychiatry, shed light on the ways in which genomic differences may contribute to ADHD symptoms.Using postmortem brain tissue for the first time to investigate ADHD, researchers gathered gene-level information to explore the influence of genes on cell function and symptoms.

Investigating gene expression through RNA sequencing, the scientists studied the caudate and frontal cortex of the brain, two connected regions that are crucial in attentional control and management.