title: Iron and ADHD: time to move beyond serum ferritin levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (a) To compare serum ferritin levels in a sample of stimulant-naïve children with ADHD and matched controls and (b) to assess the association of serum ferritin to ADHD symptoms severity, ADHD subtypes, and IQ.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ADHD and the control groups included 101 and 93 children, respectively. Serum ferritin levels were determined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum ferritin did not significantly differ between children with ADHD and controls, as well as among ADHD subtypes. Correlations between serum ferritin levels and measures related to IQ or ADHD severity were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the largest controlled study that assessed ferritin levels in stimulant-naïve ADHD children. The findings of this study do not support a significant relationship between serum ferritin levels and ADHD. However, the authors' results based on peripheral measures of iron do not rule out a possible implication of brain iron deficiency in ADHD, grounded on neurobiological hypotheses and preliminary empirical evidence.
authors.affiliation: 1S. Pertini Hospital, ASL RM/B, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Donfrancesco
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanacore
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martines
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sargentini
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cortese
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D005293:Ferritins