title: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Light of the Epigenetic Paradigm.
abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a definite behavioral pattern that might lead to performance problems in the social, educational, or work environments. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, the symptoms of ADHD were restricted to those associated with cognitive (attention deficit) and behavioral (hyperactivity/impulsivity) deficits, while deficient emotional self-regulation, a relevant source of morbidity, was left out. The etiology of it is complex, as its exact causes have not yet been fully elucidated. ADHD seems to arise from a combination of various genetic and environmental factors that alter the developing brain, resulting in structural and functional abnormalities. The aim of this paper was to review epigenetics and ADHD focused on how multidimensional mechanisms influence the behavioral phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Atendimento Neuropsicológico Infantil Interdisciplinar (NANI), Centro Paulista de Neuropsicologia, Departamento de Psicobiologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schuch
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Atendimento Neuropsicológico Infantil Interdisciplinar (NANI), Centro Paulista de Neuropsicologia, Departamento de Psicobiologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Augusto
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Citogenômica, LIM 03, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaís Virgínia Moura Machado
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Citogenômica, LIM 03, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Leslie Domenici
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Kulikowski
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Atendimento Neuropsicológico Infantil Interdisciplinar (NANI), Centro Paulista de Neuropsicologia, Departamento de Psicobiologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muszkat
keywords: ADHD; DESR; emotional self-regulation; environmental factors; epigenetics; executive functions; genetic factors