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ADHD severity genetically linked to sleep-controlling hormone
Researchers have found a genetic link between the nighttime production of the sleep hormone melatonin and ADHD symptom severity in children. The study enhances our understanding of the complexities associated with this prevalent neurodevelopmental condition.
“Our findings indicate that disruptions in melatonin secretion may contribute to the difficulties children with ADHD face in maintaining regular sleep patterns,” said lead and corresponding author Associate Professor Nagahide Takahashi, MD, PhD, from the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. They also measured ADHD symptoms, children’s sleep behaviors, and polygenic risk scores (PRS), which are a way of estimating an individual’s predisposition to a particular disease or trait, based on the combined effect of many small genetic variations. The researchers then sought to gain a deeper understanding of the biology underlying the connection between melatonin secretion and ADHD symptoms by examining levels of the inflammatory messenger interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the children’s blood.
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