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Study finds first evidence that ADHD is genetic - Reuters
Researchers who scanned the gene maps of more than 1,400 children found that those with ADHD were more likely than others to have small chunks of their DNA duplicated or missing.
Anita Thapar, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Cardiff University who led the study, said the research should help dispel the myths that ADHD is caused by bad parenting or poor diets that are too high in sugar.
"This is really exciting because it gives us the first direct genetic link to ADHD. Now we can say with confidence that ADHD is a genetic disease and that the brains of children with this condition develop differently to those of other children," she told reporters at a briefing about the findings.
Researchers who scanned the gene maps of more than 1,400 children found that those with ADHD were more likely than others to have small chunks of their DNA duplicated or missing.
Anita Thapar, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Cardiff University who led the study, said the research should help dispel the myths that ADHD is caused by bad parenting or poor diets that are too high in sugar.
"This is really exciting because it gives us the first direct genetic link to ADHD. Now we can say with confidence that ADHD is a genetic disease and that the brains of children with this condition develop differently to those of other children," she told reporters at a briefing about the findings.
