New Nature publication shows: Rare genetic variants increase ADHD risk by up to 15 times
The University Hospital of Würzburg (UKW) has made a significant contribution to an international study that has identified rare genetic variants that significantly increase the risk of ADHD. The study was led by Aarhus University (Denmark) and published in the journal Nature. Alongside international partners such as the Broad Institute (USA) and Radboud University (Netherlands), the UKW played a central role in diagnostics and sample collection.
Genetic data from around 1,000 patients from Würzburg was included in the analysis. This meant that Würzburg provided one of the largest patient data sets for the study. Among other things, the sample enabled the discovery that rare high-risk genetic variants in adults with ADHD are associated with an average IQ score that is 2.25 points lower.
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Lesch, senior professor at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and former head of the Chair of Molecular Psychiatry, emphasizes: “I am very pleased that we in Würzburg were able to make a significant contribution to these important findings.” Lesch is a key figure in ADHD research in Germany and was the long-standing head of the DFG research group KFO 125.
Dr. Georg Ziegler, senior physician and head of the research group on ADHD in adults at UKW, also emphasizes the significance of the findings: “With our research, we therefore aim to gain a better understanding of the neurobiological and psychological causes of ADHD and its frequent comorbidities in order to support the urgently needed development of additional therapeutic approaches in the long term.”
The results of the study show that rare variants in certain genes such as MAP1A, ANO8, and ANK2 can lead to disturbances in brain development - particularly in dopaminergic and GABAergic nerve cells, which are crucial for attention and impulse control. The effects of these variants are already apparent in the fetal stage and continue into adulthood.
By participating in this groundbreaking study, the University Hospital of Würzburg is underscoring its leading role in psychiatric genetics and ADHD research at the European level.