
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 3, 1995                   TAG: 9504050031
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
DATELINE: CHICAGO                                LENGTH: Medium

SCIENTISTS TIE GENE TO ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

In what could be a major advance in the fight against complex psychiatric illnesses, researchers at the University of Chicago were to announce today that they have associated a specific gene with the most common behavioral disorder of childhood: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The discovery, which links the disorder to a gene that regulates the action of the powerful neurotransmitter dopamine, could soon pinpoint the biological cause of a problem that confounds researchers, disrupts families and affects about 6 percent of all school-age children.

``We haven't bagged the gene. We've found a marker, a stretch of DNA, that when inherited with the gene confers susceptibility to ADHD,'' cautioned Edwin Cook, a child psychiatrist and molecular biologist who led the research team with Dr. Mark Stein and colleagues.

``There could be other genes that are linked to this marker and contribute to the disorder, or a combination of genes could trigger it,'' Cook said. ``And so far, no other lab has replicated our findings. But we're sufficiently optimistic to start looking for mutations in this gene.''

If the work stands up, it could lead to earlier intervention by allowing physicians to spot susceptible youngsters at birth, provide enlightened coping strategies for their parents, and perhaps devise better treatments.

``I think it's a breakthrough,'' said Dr. Bennett Leventhal, chairman of psychiatry at the University of Chicago. ``We believe the team has opened the door to the biological basis of this common problem. We're very hopeful, and very excited.''

Attention deficit hyperactivity is a disabling disorder of inattention and impulsivity that worsens many learning, social and emotional problems among younger children and can lead to delinquency and problems in adulthood.

Many causes have been proposed, but none has won the consensus of the scientific community.

by CNB