Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has gained the attention of experts around the world in recent years, due to the increase in diagnoses in people of all ages.
However, the scientific community still faces several unknowns related to this problem, which is truly mysterious in several aspects.
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In a glimmer of light that points to a change in this situation, new research suggests that ADHD is not just the result of a series of genetic changes, as previously thought.
It appears that a single gene, which can undergo mutations of environmental and/or epigenetic origin, is responsible for the different forms of presentation of the disorder.
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One of the main setbacks faced by scientists dedicated to the study of ADHD is the issue of the disorder's heredity.
As an example, the most accepted studies to date point out that the majority of individuals who inherited ADHD from their parents have only 30% of the genetic material passed on. On the other hand, on average, 80% of the symptoms presented correspond to those seen in the parents.
Interested in resolving “illogical” questions like this, a Harvard University psychologist named Anne Arnett decided to create the aforementioned study.
In the survey, Arnett and his team analyzed data from 77 children in the United States and their families. Initially, the specialist found the key point in the equation: atypical methylation.
This chemical reaction, with a different name, basically generates a delineation of the way in which genes are expressed in cells. This methylation, which occurs in the DNA human, can be influenced by epigenetic factors, which are external attributes.
In other words, the study showed that stress, diet and physical activity levels can determine whether ADHD will develop in someone or not.
Furthermore, the form of presentation and even the time it takes for the disorder to manifest itself in a person depend on how the methylation was carried out in the genes of their ancestors, passed on to the descendant direct.
These findings reinforce that a good diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder must be associated with a comprehensive investigation of individuals who present symptoms and their ancestors.
Graduated in History and Human Resources Technology. Passionate about writing, today he lives the dream of working professionally as a Web Content Writer, writing articles in several different niches and formats.