DRD4 Dopamine Receptor Gene, Lead Exposure, and ADHD
At the annual Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in San Francisco this week, researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center presented findings from the first study to examine the interaction between genes, toxins and gender in relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One finding suggested that only children with certain DRD4 dopamine receptor gene variants were vulnerable to lead’s negative effects on attentional flexibility
Dr. Tanya Froehlich:
This study offers a model for examining how genes and environmental toxins interact to shape ADHD, and demonstrates that important effects may be obscured or over-generalized if the joint contributions of these factors are not considered. Such studies can help us understand the underlying causes of neuropsychological disorders, and why certain groups may be more prone to ADHD than others.
As it will soon become (even more) clear, genetic differences will help sort out why some people develop a disease while others don’t. Genetic information will also make it possible to create order by defining subtypes of a disease that can be studied and treated with greater precision.
For more information, see Genetics of attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
EurekAlert!, May 1, 2006
Technorati Tags: adhd, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, drd4, dopamine, dopamine receptor gene, genes, genetics, disease, health, genomics, dna
There are approximately 5 candidate genes for ADHD at this time.
Research is rapidly progessing, and doctors will likely be able to choose medicines in the future based on the genes that someone has.
Cool stuff!
This gene seems to be born from that of risk takers. Our counrty consists of people whose insincts were somewhat different than at the present time. This country was, keep in mind, populated by a group of individuals who either braved off white men by fighting to theirs deaths, sailed months on raggedy ships through deep and dark oceans to inslands infamous for losing crews, or were dragged here unwillingly to work harder in one day than most of us have in our lifetimes. These people had very effieciently functioning DHD4 receptors. Those of us who I consider lucky enough to still have a highly functional or potientially functional (i.e. while medicated, specifically amphetemine based therapy.) DHD4 dopamine receptors are highly capabale of being successful individuals, able to multitask a variety of adventageous and prosperous tasks. The FDA/DEA need to back off our doctors and let them do the research needed to help those of us with malfunctioning DHD4 receptors. Even with the blantant neglect the Government has shown through lack of trust,(or maybe ::cough:: for political reasons)for our Doctors to make their own sound decisions,as to what is “safe and effective” we are still making great leaps towards mapping the brain, specifically the pre-frontal cortex. We are also finding ways around their liscense confiscations by doing things such as, instead of increasing each dose, we now prescribe more doses. This seems, albeit for now, to be keeping Uncle Sam happy. The problem is we are still highly underdosing our children and now counting on them to take separate doses in a timely manner. Regardless, time is short, point being, there is a new line of Amphetamine based drugs coming that within five years will have all of us DHD4 deficient civlians laughing in our seats. There is hope. We are not making our children Methamphetamine addicts, we are stimulating a gene that happen to be lucky enough to have. If your still in doubt, go ask your local wise internist or psychologist and bring up this gene. Trust our Doctors, the reason they are paying hundreds of thousands of their eventually hard earned dollars and six years of hard work and intensive study is to be able to help you and to learn what you may not know. So, please back off our Doctors and those of you with ADD/ADHD, pat yourselves on the back because your lucky….or at least you will be.
richard: Thanks for your comment! You bring up some interesting points. It will be interesting seeing how research in this area with regard to pathogenesis and treatment proceeds.
Are there any studies showing any relationship between ADHD and Parkinson’s disease?
Sharon: Dopamine regulation is involved in both conditions so perhaps there is. Not sure about that.