Dr. Russell A. Barkley, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, is an authority on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He's the author of "ADHD and the Nature of Self Control" and "Taking Charge of ADHD".
Deseret Morning News: What's the credible research showing regarding the causes of ADHD?
Russ Barkley:
The disorder has now been shown to be highly genetically influenced. More than 80-90 percent of the variation in the behavior pattern in people, regardless of country, has been shown to be controlled by genetics. These studies, which are now very numerous, are all consistent in showing that social factors inside the home (parenting, TV, diet, videogames, etc.) play no significant role in causing the disorder. But events outside the home as well as unique events that can happen to a child (birth complication, pregnancy problem, head injury, disease, lead poisoning, etc.) may also be causing a smaller percentage of cases of ADHD.
Full interview-
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600106463,00.html
Im working with a doc at the NIH on an ADHD project, ADHD is DEFINATELY VERY HEREDITARY.
Interesting, what is the project you are working on?
Its a SNP linkage study in a genetic isolate, which means more or less that we take DNA samples form people with and without ADHD in large families (from a population that has until recently been isolated) with well documented histories of ADHD, and compare them to see which mutations are more or less common in the affected people. The point is to try to identify SNPs (mutations) which cause susceptibility to or prevent the occurence of ADHD.
To be more specific about my role, I am just doing a tiny bit of work on the project, which has been going on for several years, as a part of my high schools Research Practicum program.
Russ Barkley: The disorder has now been shown to be highly genetically influenced. More than 80-90 percent of the variation in the behavior pattern in people, regardless of country, has been shown to be controlled by genetics.
How true!
A friend of mine was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago and her mother struggled to cope. Why, because she wasn't up to it? No, as diagnosed earlier this year, she has the 'adult form' of ADHD and her relationship with her daughter has a massive collision of similar personalities.
I have read some very very bad research papers done in genetic research. I would have to read the entire paper on any subject in genetics and see if their data backs up their hypothesis.
Sure, some personality traits could be inherited just as physical characteristics. Some behaviours are learned behaviours. The first two years of our lives being the most influencial on our lives.
The problem is that no one knows what causes autism or Asperger's. It could be that something was stopped or omitted in the development of the child's personality/brain (not genetic). It could be caused by the immune system's response to a virus/chemical (not genetic, but influenced by genetic predisposition). Is it an ezyme deficiency? (genetic). No one knows. Unless the researchers have a clue what they are looking for. All the research will show is that similar genetics markers show: family members are related, Aspergians are of the human race. For a validity they will have to use a large sample of people definitely without any Asperger's or autism to show that they do not have these markers at all. Because research costs money, some scientists become motivated to prove their hypothesis with bias. Usually because there could be much money made if there was a drug that could be manufactured.
I need to do some more reading and research on the genetic issue. I will post up any interesting finding.
As for studies being done. I had some relative write from Britian to my family asking for information needed for a study. My family sent information about me and a hair sample WITHOUT my permission. This is unethical. They should have written consent from me personally. I am not an object.
In case there was any confusion, the news item was about ADHD, not autism.
They had no right to take your hair sample without permission, how horrible.
It sounds like research being done by the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, you could e-mail them and give the name of the relative and say that you don't give permission for your sample to be used.
Cure Autism Now funds some of the studies done there, and we have no idea how they may use the findings, but needless to say Cure Autism Now do want a cure for autism.
Given that ADHD has large repercussions on behaviour in some individuals, it's strange to me that you never seem to hear anyone suggest ADHD should be eliminated or that a prenatal test be designed to pick it up. I'm not suggesting for a moment that it should be eliminated, but just that there seems very much of a double standard regarding this condition and autistic conditions.
Also, for some reason, there is less stigma attached to the diagnosis of ADHD as opposed to autism.
It is also conceivable that one or both parents of ADHD children have the condition themselves. I read an article some time ago that suggested it was frequently the fathers and that when their history was gone into, they showed similar symptoms as a child to what their children had. They as adults were frequently still rather impulsive and restless and found it more difficult than most to cope with their children's challenging behaviours.