Personality mediation of genetic effects on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Personality traits may be viable candidates for mediators of the relationship between genetic risk and ADHD. Participants were 578 children (331 boys; 320 children with ADHD) between the ages of six and 18. Parents and teachers completed a comprehensive, multi-stage diagnostic procedure to assess ADHD and comorbid disorders. Mother completed the California Q-Sort to assess child Big Five personality traits. Children provided buccal samples of DNA which were assayed for selected markers on DRD4, DAT1, and ADRA2A. An additive genetic risk composite was associated with ADHD symptoms and maladaptive personality traits; maladaptive personality traits were associated with ADHD symptoms. Low conscientiousness and high neuroticism partially mediated the relationship between genetic risk and ADHD symptoms. Mediation effects for conscientiousness were specific to inattentive symptoms; effects for neuroticism generalized to all disruptive behaviors. High neuroticism and low conscientiousness may be useful as early markers for children at risk for ADHD.
Psychology Department, University of New Orleans, 2005 Geology & Psychology Building, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA. mmartel@uno.edu
Michelle M
MM
Martel
Molly
M
Nikolas
Katherine
K
Jernigan
Karen
K
Friderici
Joel T
JT
Nigg
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010556:Personality Tests; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000235:genetics; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics
C547768:ADRA2A protein, human; C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; C493214:SLC6A3 protein, human; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4