Early-life stress changes more genes in brain than a head

 

Researchers at The Ohio State University conducted a study to explore early-life stress and childhood head injuries on later-life health and behavior. In an animal experiment involving rats, the researchers found that early-life stress had a more of significant impact on gene activation in the brain than a traumatic head injury. They stated that stress-induced changes in gene expression were greater than those resulting from a concussion-like injury. They also stated that early-life stress may have a lasting influence on brain development, potentially leading to a lifetime of health consequences. 

The researchers set up an experiment with newborn rats where they were simulated adverse childhood experiences and then later caused head injuries as part of the experiment. The results showed that stress and traumatic brain injury affected pathways associated with neural plasticity and oxytocin signaling. This suggests potential vulnerabilities and changes in the brain's response to stress. When adulthood approaches the rats that have experienced early-life stress exhibited riskier behavior. Which includes entering open spaces more frequently also correlating with patterns seen in humans with conditions like ADHD. The study shows the importance of addressing early-life stressors and instituting supportive measures to alleviate enduring impacts on mental health and behavior.

links

Early-life stress changes more genes in brain than a head injury | ScienceDaily

Early-life stress changes more genes in the brain than a head injury (medicalxpress.com)

Genetics of ADHD And Other Disorders That Can Coexist

    ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder known as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.  The diagnosis consists of a pattern including hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviors.  This paper goes into depth about several different topics that relate to ADHD coexisting with other disorders and phenotypes.  ADHD can coexist with other disorders causing disruptions in adulthood with interpersonal relationships, academics, and performance at work. There are psychiatric disorders and non-mental conditions that can accompany ADHD.  Around 70-80% of individuals that have ADHD also have comorbid psychiatric disorders that accompany it.   ADHD can come out in different symptoms for everyone and every person with it can have other coexisting issues that are different.  There is an important role that genetics plays in the co-curring traits and ADHD. Twin studies proved that ADHD is from a genetic background.  These studies provided information on the heritability of ADHD and proved that the heritability is very similar in males and females for certain traits. 

     

    This image shows a representation of genetic correlations between ADHD and other psychaitric disorders as well as behavioral and cognitive traits. This visual can provide an overview of percentages of individuals with ADHD that are affected by these other disorders. This study goes into a lot of information on quantitative genetic twin and family studies as well as genome molecular studies of rare and common variants.  All of this information proving the genetics behind ADHD affecting peopole the way it does. 

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423002828

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2713155/ 

The Science of ADHD

 

According to " Chadd.Org" Research has demonstrated that ADHD has a very strong neurobiological basis. Although precise causes have not yet been identified, there is little question that heredity makes the largest contribution to the expression of the disorder in the population. In instances where heredity does not seem to be a factor, difficulties during pregnancy, prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco, premature delivery, significantly low birth weight, excessively high body lead levels, and postnatal injury to the prefrontal regions of the brain have all been found to contribute to the risk for ADHD to varying degrees. 

Research does not support the popularly held views that ADHD arises from excessive sugar intake, excessive television viewing, poor child management by parents, or social and environmental factors such as poverty or family chaos. Of course, many things, including these, might aggravate symptoms, especially in certain individuals.  But the evidence for such individual aggravating circumstances is not strong enough to conclude that they are primary causes of ADHD.  A related problem that has some accumulating evidence is sensitivity to food or additives such as colorings and preservatives.  Several controlled double-blind studies suggest that these might be important for a minority of children with ADHD, and a couple of controlled studies suggest a small effect on all children whether or not they have ADHD.  Further research on this connection is warranted.