Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia Share Genetic Links

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Genetic neurodevelopmental clustering and dyslexia

Scientists have clarified the genetic basis of dyslexia by demonstrating how it interacts with that of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Under the direction of the University of Edinburgh researchers, this study1 is the first to investigate the genetic links to dyslexia — thought to affect 10 percent of the population — in the framework of neurodevelopmental and psychological features.

The results aid understanding of the biology behind dyslexia—a difficulty with reading and spelling—and ADHD, a condition associated with difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Experts say the findings could aid in the development of tailored educational, employment, and well-being support systems for people with dyslexia or ADHD.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh examined large public anonymized datasets of genetic data on 10 neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, as well as dyslexia genetic statistics from a study of approximately one million people in collaboration with 23andMe, a genomics and biotechnology company.

Genetically Similar Traits

The team used a statistical tool to find clusters of genetically similar traits for dyslexia and ten neurodevelopmental and psychiatric traits, including ADHD, anorexia nervosa, and Tourette syndrome. They conducted more in-depth analyses to identify specific genetic regions that overlap with dyslexia and ADHD.

Pairwise genetic correlations detected using LDSC.
Pairwise genetic correlations were detected using LDSC. Credit: Molecular Psychiatry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02649-8

Among the ten psychiatric features examined, five genetically connected clusters known as hidden genomic factors were discovered. ADHD was found to be more closely associated with attention and learning issues than with neurodevelopmental features such as autism and Tourette syndrome.

“This is the first time that genetic links to dyslexia have been studied in the context of psychiatric traits. In the future, other learning difficulties such as dyscalculia or dyspraxia should be included to allow for a more nuanced understanding of the relationships between them,”

said Austėja Čiulkinytė, A Translational Neuroscience Ph.D. student at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study.

Follow-up analyses of the attention and learning difficulties factor found 49 genetic regions and 174 genes shared by dyslexia and ADHD, including 40 regions and 121 genes that had not previously been identified.

“By studying many related behaviors together we are able boost the statistical power for gene discovery,”

added Professor Michelle Luciano of the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences.

  1. Ciulkinyte, A., Mountford, H.S., Fontanillas, P. et al. Genetic neurodevelopmental clustering and dyslexia. Mol Psychiatry (2024). doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02649-8

Top Image credit: Molecular Psychiatry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02649-8