ADHS bis zu 15-mal wahrscheinlicher bei 3 Genvarianten: Bahnbrechende Forschungen haben eine Reihe von nur 3 Genvarianten entdeckt, die die Wahrscheinlichkeit von ADHS um das bis zu 15-fache erhöhen können. Dies ist ein bemerkenswerter Befund, wenn man bedenkt, dass Tausende von Mutationen nur mit einem nominell erhöhten Risiko verbunden sind.
https://newatlas.com/adhd-autism/genes-adhd-risk/
8 Kommentare
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09702-8
From the linked article:
**ADHD up to 15x more likely with these three gene variants**
**Groundbreaking research has uncovered a set of just three gene variants that can increase the likelihood of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by up to 15 times. It’s a remarkable finding, considering that thousands of mutations only come with a nominal elevated risk.**
An international team of scientists led by iPSYCH at Aarhus University has shown that three rare variants in the genes MAP1A, ANO8 and ANK2 play a significant role in ADHD, a condition that’s largely genetic and highly heritable.
“We can now, for the first time, point to very specific genes in which rare variants confer a high predisposition to developing ADHD,” said senior author Professor Anders Børglum from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University. “The identified variants very likely have a highly damaging effect on the genes, and they show us precisely which genes and fundamental biological mechanisms may be affected.“
The team analyzed the genetic data of nearly 9,000 people with ADHD who took part in the Danish iPSYCH study, and 54,000 individuals without the condition, and compared that with brain cell function data and reports on education and socioeconomic status of Denmark residents. People with these gene mutations line up with those who have, on average, lower educational achievements and poorer socioeconomic status – often seen in individuals with ADHD.
While rare, the mutations appear to disrupt communication between neurons, by affecting genes expressed in these all-important nerve cells in the brain. This interference is a hallmark of ADHD. The variants especially impact dopaminergic and GABAergic neuron function – the cells that play key roles in regulating attention, impulse control and motivation.
“Our findings support that disturbances in brain development and function are central to the development of ADHD,” said co-first author Ditte Demontis, Professor at the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University. “We have also analyzed which proteins interact with the proteins encoded by the three identified ADHD genes, and we have identified a larger protein network that also plays a role in other neurodevelopmental disorders – including autism and schizophrenia. This provides insight into the biological links across several psychiatric diagnoses.“
I’m extremely grateful for all this research about diagnosis
But I’m also at the same time very disheartened that all the ones that go viral and all the big breakthroughs are about diagnosis and not treatment
That doesn’t mean I’m not grateful to these scientists and congratulations to them it will go a great way in validating ADHD as a real disorder with so many skeptics out there.
But at the same time I’m getting tired boss
I’m happy to be proven wrong here – but someday soon I hope the words „remarkable discovery“ are said about a breakthrough in treatment for ADHD that improves life outcomes
Fascinating stuff! I wonder if there’s any overlap between these genes and autism as well, given the extreme level of co-occurrence with ADHD.
Both run in my family and I inherited both.
As someone with adhd, sometimes it worries me that “curing” it would change me fundamentally. I take medication for it, and while I think the medication obliterates the more egregious symptoms, I think it also has a tendency to “mute” me. When I take breaks I feel as though I’m me again, but of course that comes with the same reasons I sought the medication in the first place. If there were a way to resolve the symptoms without changing my personality, that would be a dream come true
I’ve read about the MAP1A gene connected to ADHD and Autism years ago. Could this point towards ADHD and autism possiby being different manifestations of the same condition?
I’m conflicted about such findings. As somebody with some fucked up hereditary diseases I hated the fact that these genetic tests were used in the diagnosis. Pretty sure, me being negative for a specific gene delayed my diagnosis by a long time even though my symptoms and MRI findings matched really well.
I hope this means an easier path to getting a genetic treatment. Something where parents can elect to have their embryo genetically modified so that they’ll never have to have a kid with ADHD or Autism.
This does bring up the ethical concerns regarding prenatal genetic screening though as more parents pursue its use to optimize the kinds of kids they’d be raising.