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Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5.29% of children worldwide. It presents a heterogeneous clinical expression, and both environmental and genetic factors are involved in the etiology. Despite high heritability estimates, identification of genes that confer susceptibility to ADHD has been a slow and difficult process. The first genetic studies targeted dopaminergic genes, but the effects were small and only explained a small portion of ADHD heritability. Recent studies focus on the identification of novel genes and pathways that may underlie ADHD. The main goal of this review is to present evidence from genome-wide association, copy number variation and family-based studies of genetic susceptibility to ADHD. The challenges involved to disclose ADHD susceptibility genes will be reviewed in order to provide directions for future studies.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
LA Rohde was on the speakers’ bureau and/or has acted as consultant for Eli-Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis and Shire in the last 3 years (less than US$10,000 per year and reflecting less than 5% of his gross income per year). He has also received travel support (air tickets and hotel) for attending two Child Psychiatric Meetings from Novartis and Janssen-Cilag in 2010. The ADHD and Juvenile Bipolar Disorder Outpatient Programs chaired by him received unrestricted educational and research support from the following pharmaceutical companies in the last 3 years: Abbott, Eli-Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis and Shire. He also receives research support from Brazilian government institutions (CNPq, FAPERGS, HCPA and CAPES) and royalties from Oxford Press and ArtMed. MH Hutz receives research support from Brazilian government institutions (CNPq, FINEP and CAPES). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.