“The results of this study are of great importance. Not only do we build upon previous work, but also demonstrate the significant genetic associations between dysregulation in theta signalling and ADHD. It’s vital that we continue to study this to establish the effects of functional impairment in people who received an ADHD diagnosis in childhood, and whether they retained that diagnosis in later life.”
Dr Gráinne McLoughlin a Senior Lecturer at King’s IoPPN and the study’s senior author
Significant Genetic Association Between Theta Brainwaves and ADHD
Credit: Milad Fakurian / Unsplash.
Want to listen to this article for FREE?
Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
Read time: 1 minute
The research, published in Biological Psychiatry, indicates a core dysregulation of the temporal coordination of cognitive control processes - crucial mental computations that help individuals stay on task when distractions are present - in adults with ADHD that persists in those whose symptoms developed in childhood and that this is driven by shared genetic pathways.
Cognitive control processes, including those measured by theta, are known to be impaired in those with psychiatric conditions, and neurodevelopmental diagnoses like ADHD and autism.
The study followed 566 participants (233 pairs of twins from the Twins’ Early Development Study (TEDS)). Parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire reporting on their children’s behavioural traits, while a brain scan was conducted later in young adulthood to test cognitive control signals, including frontal theta.
Want more breaking news?
Subscribe to Technology Networks’ daily newsletter, delivering breaking science news straight to your inbox every day.
Subscribe for FREEThe study indicated continuity in those with ADHD symptoms throughout the lifespan, with genetic overlap between ADHD symptoms in childhood and an ADHD diagnosis in young adulthood. Furthermore, in confirmation of its role in the condition, there were strong genetic relationships between variability in reaction times and both childhood and adult ADHD.
Researchers suggest that the findings suggest that dysregulated theta could indicate a biomarker for ADHD and might highlight a target for intervention in the condition.
Dr McLoughlin, said, “It can be easy to overlook how critical effective cognitive control is in our day-to-day lives, not only during our developmental years but also in adulthood. However, the diagnostic process takes significant time and resources. Our study suggests that, with a little more research, we could stratify patients with a simple brain scan.”
Reference: Aydin Ü, Gyurkovics M, Ginestet C, et al. Genetic overlap between midfrontal theta signals and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in a longitudinal twin cohort. Biological Psychiatry. 2023:S000632232301274X. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.006
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
