Determination of association between the polymorphism in exon 3 of dopamine receptor gene type 4 with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Introduction: Evidences suggest that attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a hereditary disorder and at least 20 potential genes associated with ADHD have been identified. Dopamine receptor gene type 4 (DRD4) has been more considered due to a stronger relationship with ADHD. However, no study has yet been conducted on the Iranian population to assess the association. Objective: In this study, the association between polymorphism of DRD4 gene with ADHD has been studied among capital of Iran population. Materials and methods: This study is a case-control study conducted on children aged 6�12 years with ADHD referred to child and adolescent psychiatric clinic Imam Hussein (AS) and normal subjects in 2011. Diagnosis was done based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria and interviewing by two child and adolescent psychiatrists. If parental were consent, then saliva samples of subjects were prepared and DRD4 gene and related allele were evaluated using PCR method. The K-SADS questionnaire was also used to assess comorbid disorders. Results: In this study, 114 patients in ADHD group and 109 patients in the control group were studied. The most frequency was obtained for allele 4 allele that has been observed in about 90 of both case and control groups. However, frequency of allele 6 in the case group was 8.8 where the frequency was 5 in the control group (p = 0.02). The presence of repeat of allele 6 increased chance of suffering from ADHD to 1.809 (95 equal to 3.871�0.845). Conclusion: For the first time this study showed that in Iranian population repeat of DRD4 gene allele 6 unlike the other geographic areas is relatively common and it will increase the chances of suffering from ADHD. However, additional studies are required. © 201

Effect of sweet almond syrup versus methylphenidate in children with ADHD: A randomized triple-blind clinical trial

Background and purpose: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common health disorders among children. Some patients do not respond to methylphenidate or cannot tolerate its side effects. Sweet almond syrup as a Persian Medicine preparation has been used for many years. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sweet almond for ADHD children. Materials and methods: Fifty children aged 6-14 years with ADHD were recruited to the study. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either methylphenidate or sweet almond syrup. The outcomes were assessed using the Parent and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale every two weeks for 8 weeks. Results: Results showed that the two treatments had similar effects on symptom reduction in ADHD children. No significant differences were observed between the two groups (F=2.3, df=1, p=0.13, F=0.57, df=1, p=0.47). Conclusion: Sweet almond may be an effective treatment for ADHD children. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

Magnesium status and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A meta-analysis

Current research suggests conflicting evidence surrounding the association between serum magnesium levels and the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to explore, summarize and quantify the published literature addressing this topic. We conducted an exhaustive literature search on Scopus and PubMed for all the relevant observational studies published up to August 2018. A meta-analysis using a random-effects model was used to summarize the overall association between serum magnesium level and ADHD from the available data. We identified seven studies which reported the mean and standard deviation (SD) of magnesium concentration in both ADHD and control groups. The random-effects meta-analysis showed that subjects with ADHD had 0.105 mmol/l (95 CI: -0.188, -0.022; P < 0.013) lower serum magnesium levels compared with to their healthy controls. Moreover, we observed striking and statistically significant heterogeneity among the included studies (I 2 = 96.2, P = 0.0103). The evidence from this meta-analysis supports the theory that an inverse relationship between serum magnesium deficiency and ADHD exists. High heterogeneity amongst the included studies suggests that there is a residual need for observational and community-based studies to further investigate this issue. © 201

Tehran environmental and neurodevelopmental disorders (TEND) cohort study: phase I, feasibility assessment

Purpose To advance knowledge about childhood neurodevelopmental disorders and study their environmental determinants, we conducted a study in Tehran, Iran to assess the feasibility of prospective birth cohort study. Methods We evaluated participation of pregnant women, feasibility of sampling biological material, and health care services availability in Tehran in four steps: (1) first trimester of pregnancy; (2) third trimester of pregnancy; (3) at delivery; and (4) two to three months after delivery. We collected related data through questionnaires, also various biological samples were obtained from mothers (blood, urine, milk and nails-hands and feet) and newborns (umbilical cord blood, meconium, and urine samples) from February 2016 to October 2017. Results overall 838 eligible pregnant women were approached. The participation rate was 206(25%) in our study and about 185(90%) of subjects were recruited in hospitals. Out of 206 participants in the first trimester, blood, urine, hand nail, and foot nail samples were collected from 206(100%),193(93%), 205(99%), and 205(99%), respectively. These values dropped to 65(54%), 83(69%), 84(70%), and 84(70%) for the remaining participants 120(58%) in the third trimester, respectively. Also, we gathered milk samples from 125(60%) of mothers at two to three months after delivery. Conclusion Our findings suggest that hospitals were better places for recruitment of subjects in a birth cohort in Tehran. We further concluded that birth cohort study recruitment can be improved by choosing appropriate gestational ages. Obtaining the newborn's urine, meconium, and umbilical cord blood were challenging procedures and require good collaboration between hospital staff and researchers

Tehran environmental and neurodevelopmental disorders (TEND) cohort study: Phase I, feasibility assessment

Purpose: To advance knowledge about childhood neurodevelopmental disorders and study their environmental determinants, we conducted a study in Tehran, Iran to assess the feasibility of prospective birth cohort study. Methods: We evaluated participation of pregnant women, feasibility of sampling biological material, and health care services availability in Tehran in four steps: (1) first trimester of pregnancy; (2) third trimester of pregnancy; (3) at delivery; and (4) two to three months after delivery. We collected related data through questionnaires, also various biological samples were obtained from mothers (blood, urine, milk and nails�hands and feet) and newborns (umbilical cord blood, meconium, and urine samples) from February 2016 to October 2017. Results: overall 838 eligible pregnant women were approached. The participation rate was 206(25) in our study and about 185(90) of subjects were recruited in hospitals. Out of 206 participants in the first trimester, blood, urine, hand nail, and foot nail samples were collected from 206(100),193(93), 205(99), and 205(99), respectively. These values dropped to 65(54), 83(69), 84(70), and 84(70) for the remaining participants 120(58) in the third trimester, respectively. Also, we gathered milk samples from 125(60) of mothers at two to three months after delivery. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hospitals were better places for recruitment of subjects in a birth cohort in Tehran. We further concluded that birth cohort study recruitment can be improved by choosing appropriate gestational ages. Obtaining the newborn�s urine, meconium, and umbilical cord blood were challenging procedures and require good collaboration between hospital staff and researchers. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG