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Review
. 2012 Mar;97(3):260-5.
doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2011-300482. Epub 2011 Sep 7.

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Anita Thapar  1 , Miriam Cooper, Rachel Jefferies, Evangelia Stergiakouli
Affiliations
Free PMC article
Review

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Anita Thapar et al. Arch Dis Child. 2012 Mar.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects around 1-3% of children. There is a high level of comorbidity with developmental and learning problems as well as with a variety of psychiatric disorders. ADHD is highly heritable, although there is no single causal risk factor and non-inherited factors also contribute to its aetiology. The genetic and environmental risk factors that have been implicated appear to be associated with a range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric outcomes, not just ADHD. The evidence to date suggests that both rare and multiple common genetic variants likely contribute to ADHD and modify its phenotype. ADHD or a similar phenotype also appears to be more common in extreme low birth weight and premature children and those exposed to exceptional early adversity. In this review, the authors consider recent developments in the understanding of risk factors that influence ADHD.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mother's genes can influence ADHD as well as exposure to certain environmental factors.
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