Kelli Lehto, Associate Professor of Neuropsychiatric Genomics at the University of Tartu, is leading a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant project that brings together genetics, psychology, and data science to investigate the causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and enhance diagnostic methods.
ADHD is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental condition, which has been primarily diagnosed in children and is characterised by impulsivity, hyperactivity and attention problems. Recently, an increasing number of adults are being diagnosed with ADHD. According to data from the Estonian Biobank over the past five years, the number of ADHD diagnosed among adults has multiplied. This trend is also confirmed by international studies.
According to Lehto, the rapid increase in the number of diagnoses suggests that symptoms characteristic of ADHD – such as restlessness and difficulties with concentration, planning, and completing tasks – are affecting a growing number of adults. While ADHD has been thoroughly studied in children, the causes and mechanisms behind the increasingly common adult ADHD remain unknown.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that, in adults, ADHD symptoms often significantly overlap with those of many other mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. These problems can also arise due to environmental factors like fatigue and stress. “However, existing data suggest that ADHD is associated with a large number of specific gene variants, which are not yet used in diagnosis but could prove to be very helpful,” Lehto explained, referring to the issue that inspired her research project.
Genetics related to ADHD
Over the next five years, Lehto’s research group plans to investigate the causes of adult ADHD-related issues using genetic data alongside environmental and lifestyle information, including data on the use of smart devices. In addition to the University of Tartu Estonian Biobank, the analysis will also draw on data from biobanks in Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The study will focus on the genetics of ADHD symptoms to determine which traits are most strongly linked to ADHD genetically, and which may stem from other factors.
Lehto acknowledges that the tools currently available to doctors do not allow for sufficiently accurate differentiation between mental health conditions.
Currently, no diagnostic biomarkers are used in psychiatry. All diagnoses are still based primarily on what the patient reports.”
Kelli Lehto, Associate Professor of Neuropsychiatric Genomics, University of Tartu
More accurate diagnostic methods
The ultimate goal of the project is to develop an innovative tool for more precise identification of adult ADHD. Using machine learning methods, the team will analyse questionnaire data on hundreds of mental health symptoms, lifestyle and personality traits to identify clusters of symptoms that are strongly associated with genetic risk for ADHD. Based on these findings, the research group aims to create a more accurate screening questionnaire that could help diagnose adult ADHD without the need for costly genetic testing. “This is where the innovation of our project lies. The result will be a novel biology-based assessment tool that will hopefully make it possible to more accurately identify adults who were not diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and who can finally receive the appropriate treatment for their lifelong problems. Even more importantly, this approach could also help to better identify other mental health conditions that are currently difficult to distinguish,” Lehto explained.
The research project has a budget of nearly €1.5 million, funded by the European Commission. European Research Council grants are among the most prestigious in the scientific world. The competition attracted over 3,928 proposals,12% of which were funded.
Source:
Estonian Research Council