Monday, March 23, 2015
Genetic links helps unravel myths of A.D.H.D.
For many years since the disorder known as ADHD was first officially diagnosed and introduced in the scientific community, there have been certain people who have denied the existence of this disorder outright. Many people have tried to argue that with the wide array of technology children use these days such as video games and cellphones, there is more of a reason for them to become distracted and it is this increase in technology that is causing the lack of attention amongst many children. However, there has been clear evidence by many scientists specializing in neurological disorders that have proven the existence of ADHD by linking this disorder to its genetic components. For example, the National Human Genome Research Institute has discovered this link amongst identical twins. According to their research if one twin is diagnosed with this attention disorder, there is a 80% chance that the other twin will be diagnosed as well. There have also been numerous studies regarding the gene LPHN3 and its association with ADHD. According to Dr. Muenke this gene can affect certain pathways in the brain that affect this attention disorder and it also responds well to certain medications that are common given to patients diagnosed with ADD such as adderall.
I believe that these genetic relations will allow people to gain a further understanding of this attention disorder and will allow us to advance and obtain more effective means to treat this disorder. Since my brother has just recently been diagnosed with ADHD I have begun to further look into this disorder in order to find ways to better understand what he has to go through on a daily basis. Hopefully this linkage discovered in our genes can help scientists discover a way to effectively treat this to the best of their ability.
Labels:
A.D.H.D,
LPHN3,
neurological diseases,
neurological disorders
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