Groundbreaking new study finally identifies the cause of ADHD

ADHD manifests as inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty focusing, and it can greatly influence a person’s academic and social functioning.

According to the World Health Organization, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is estimated to affect approximately 5% of children worldwide and 2.5% of adults. This disorder manifests as inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty focusing, and it can greatly influence a person's academic and social functioning.

Although ADHD has been recognized to have a genetic basis, the specific genes implicated have been challenging to identify. However, recent advancements have brought us closer to unraveling this mystery.

Prof. Ohad Birk (left) and his MD-PhD student Daniel Halperin. (CREDIT: Ben Gurion University)

Israeli scientists have successfully pinpointed a particular gene, CDH2, which seems to be significantly involved in the progression of ADHD. The CDH2 gene encodes N-cadherin, a protein crucial for facilitating brain synapse activity and formation.

Through their investigation, the researchers discovered that a mutation in CDH2 disrupts this activity, influencing molecular pathways and dopamine levels within two specific brain regions associated with ADHD: the ventral midbrain and the prefrontal cortex.

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka-University Medical Center conducted the study, which was published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Nature Communications.

Learn more in: https://www.thebrighterside.news/health/groundbreaking-new-study-finally-identifies-the-cause-of-adhd/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=brighter_news/magazine/The+Brighter+Side+of+World+News   

Fonte: https://www.thebrighterside.news/