Temperament and character profiles and the dopamine D4 receptor gene in ADHD.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study was designed to investigate the link among attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, novelty-seeking temperament, and the 48-base pair (bp) dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene variant.

METHOD:

This study drew from a larger molecular genetic study of ADHD in which the ascertainment criterion was having an affected sibling pair with ADHD. Parents (N=171) from 96 families provided data. Of the 171 parents, 56 (33%) had a lifetime history of ADHD, with 28 (50%) continuing to meet DSM-IV criteria (i.e., "persistent" ADHD). Latent variable modeling was used to test whether the DRD4 gene variant or Temperament and Character Inventory factors could predict ADHD.

RESULTS:

Using latent variable modeling, the authors were able to confirm the first-order factor structure of the Temperament and Character Inventory. Furthermore, novelty seeking predicted ADHD lifetime diagnosis (R(2)=26%), while the DRD4 gene variant independently predicted ADHD (R(2)=5%) but not novelty seeking.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this unique sample of parents from multiply affected ADHD families, novelty seeking and the 48-bp DRD4 variant were associated with a lifetime history of ADHD. However, the association between novelty seeking and ADHD does not appear to be due to variation in the 48-bp DRD4 variant.

• Authors: Deborah E Lynn, Gitta Lubke, May Yang, James T McCracken, James J McGough, Janeen Ishii, Sandra K Loo, Stanley F Nelson, Susan L Smalley
• Journal: The American journal of psychiatry (Am J Psychiatry) Vol. 162 Issue 5 Pg. 906-13 (May 2005) ISSN: 0002-953X [Print] United States
• PMID: 15863792 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• DRD4 protein, human
• Genetic Markers
• Receptors, Dopamine D2
• Receptors, Dopamine D4

Topics

• Adult
• Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (diagnosis, genetics, psychology)
• Character
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• Exploratory Behavior (physiology)
• Female
• Genetic Markers (genetics)
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Genetic Variation
• Humans
• Male
• Pedigree
• Personality Inventory
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Receptors, Dopamine D2 (genetics, physiology)
• Receptors, Dopamine D4
• Temperament (classification, physiology)