Available evidence suggests that ADHD is genetic—passed down from parent to child. ADHD seems to run in at least some families. At least one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with the condition. What's more, the majority of identical twins share the ADHD trait.
Studies show that if you have ADHD, your children have about a 35% chance of acquiring it; if a child has it, there is a 50% likelihood that one of his or her parents does as well.
Heritability in ADHD
According to a recent meta-analysis of twin studies, the heritability of ADHD is estimated at 77–88% [8]. The magnitude is therefore similar to that of autism spectrum disorder (about 80%), bipolar disorder (about 75%), and schizophrenia (about 80%) [6].
Available evidence suggests that ADHD is genetic—passed down from parent to child. ADHD seems to run in at least some families. At least one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with the condition. What's more, the majority of identical twins share the ADHD trait.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
While the exact causes of ADHD have not been identified, genetic studies show there is a strong hereditary component, with an up to a 91 percent likelihood of passing the disorder to your children.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most prevalent childhood disorders today, is generally more likely to be diagnosed and treated in boys than in girls.
ADHD, also called attention-deficit disorder, is a behavior disorder, usually first diagnosed in childhood, that is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and, in some cases, hyperactivity.
A rare, autosomal recessive inherited disorder usually caused by mutations in the THRB gene.
What is the cause or basis of ADHD? It is an impulse disorder with genetic components that results from imbalances of neurotransmitters.
Boys (13%) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (6%). Black, non-Hispanic children and White, non-Hispanic children are more often diagnosed with ADHD (12% and 10%, respectively), than Hispanic children (8%) or Asian, non-Hispanic children (3%).
Girls are also less likely to be diagnosed earlier because they often display more symptoms of anxiety. Medical providers may only treat a female patient's anxiety or depression without evaluating for ADHD. Hormones, which affect the symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety, can complicate things.
Multiple factors may contribute to the lack of ADHD diagnosis in girls during childhood, including differences in predominant symptoms (internalizing rather than externalizing) and subtype (inattentive rather than hyperactive)7; the presence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety,8,9 which ...
Children were assessed with neuropsychological paradigms measuring IQ, motor, timing, and executive functions. Results: Paternal and maternal ADHD were equally positively related to ADHD in offspring.
Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD are related in several ways. ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
Better safe than sorry, according to medical thinking. If you take medications to help manage your ADHD symptoms and you decide you want to start a family, talk with your doctor about preparing for pregnancy and her recommendations for you. To learn more, visit ADHD Medication and Pregnancy.
Women with ADHD face the same feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted as men with ADHD commonly feel. Psychological distress, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and chronic stress are common. Often, women with ADHD feel that their lives are out of control or in chaos, and daily tasks may seem impossibly huge.
Around 1 in every 20 Australians has ADHD. It is more common in boys. More than 3 in 4 children diagnosed with ADHD continue to experience the symptoms into adulthood.
Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it's diagnosed later in childhood. Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult.
ADHD was the first disorder found to be the result of a deficiency of a specific neurotransmitter — in this case, norepinephrine — and the first disorder found to respond to medications to correct this underlying deficiency. Like all neurotransmitters, norepinephrine is synthesized within the brain.
ADHD brains have low levels of a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is linked arm-in-arm with dopamine. Dopamine is the thing that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure center. The ADHD brain has impaired activity in four functional regions of the brain.