Researchers from the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have reported new study findings regarding ADHD and four gene variants in the journal Nature Genetics.

In the study 1000 ADHD children were compared with 4100 children of the same age without ADHD.  Whole-genome analyses was performed on all of the children.

About 10% of the ADHD patients in the study sample had the gene variants. The researchers were looking for DNA sequence duplications and found four genes that had a considerable greater number in the ADHD children in the study. All of the genes were glutamate receptor genes (GRM). Glutamate is a neurotransmitter and transmits signals between brain neurons.

It has previously been believed that GRM pathways were important to ADHD and the findings indicate that in this subset of children with ADHD that is the case.

Thousands of genes may be involved with ADHD so finding a gene family which could have a major contribution in 10% of the cases is a considerable breakthrough. The scientists are hoping that the findings may lend toward new ADHD therapies to be able to be targeted using the new information.

For much more about this study please visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/238664.php.