Attention, Genes and ADHD

Recent advances in genetic methodology are providing important etiological and developmental information to the growing literature on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related conditions.Attention, Genes and ADHDis the first book to review and integrate both behavior genetic and molecular genetic advances in ADHD. The book brings together international researchers using behavior genetic and molecular genetic studies to review the findings and show how modern behavior genetic techniques may be applied to the investigation of these disorders. The book examines applications of behavior genetic approaches to twin studies, and reviews diagnostic approaches, the relationships between reading, spelling and ADHD, and family and genetic influences on speech and language. Overlaps between ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder are reviewed. Environmental and genetic influences among these disorders are explored and sex differences in the prevalence of ADHD areexamined. The neurobiological and genetic relationship between ADHD and Tourette's Disorder and advances in molecular genetics are also reviewed - in particular a discussion of Fragile X as a model for single gene effects on ADHD, and the application of genetic methods and approaches to the study of candidate genes. Finally, the implications for education and intervention are discussed, and current and future roles of genetic studies of ADHD explored.