Australian study will explore genetic causes of ADHD

New research planned by Australian scientists will hopefully shed some light on the causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

A team of neuroscientists from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) are in the initial stages of one of Australia's biggest studies into the relationship between genes and children with ADHD.

The national study will involve more than 600 families with a child diagnosed with ADHD - the common behavioural condition affects thousands of children and families in Australia.

The study will be led by Associate Professor Mark Bellgrove who says there is already significant research which suggests that ADHD might have a strong genetic component.

Dr. Bellgrove says psychological studies have shown that many children with ADHD experience cognitive problems - such as difficulties associated with focusing attention, remembering things, day-to-day planning or inhibiting behaviour but the precise nature of the relationship between cognitive problems in children with ADHD and their inherited genes remains at present unknown.

The three-year study will also involve scientists at the Mater Children's Hospital Brisbane, the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne and Curtin University of Technology and will be funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NMRC) of Australia.

The main goal of the study is to investigate the relationships between genetics, cognitive problems and brain function in children with ADHD and Dr. Bellgrove says by documenting cognitive ability in children with ADHD, researchers hope to determine genetic differences between those children with and without cognitive problems. The research will include using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at brain activity.

In this way the team hope they will be able to determine how genes influence brain function in children with ADHD.

Dr. Bellgrove believes research into understanding how genes might influence cognitive function, may ultimately lead to better treatments for children and adolescents with ADHD.

The research is scheduled to begin this month and families interested in participating in the study can find out more by visiting www.adhdstudy.com.au.