Exploring how symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are related to reading and mathematics performance: general genes, general environments

Psychol Sci. 2010 Nov;21(11):1708-15. doi: 10.1177/0956797610386617. Epub 2010 Oct 21.

Abstract

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to perform more poorly on tests of reading and mathematical performance than their typical peers. Quantitative genetic analyses allow for a better understanding of the etiology of ADHD and reading and mathematics outcomes, by examining their common and unique genetic and environmental influences. Analyses were conducted on a sample 271 pairs of 10-year-old monozygotic and dizygotic twins drawn from the Western Reserve Reading and Mathematics Project. In general, the results suggested that the associations among ADHD symptoms, reading outcomes, and math outcomes were influenced by both general genetic and general shared-environment factors. The analyses also suggested significant independent genetic effects for ADHD symptoms. The results imply that differing etiological factors underlie the relationships among ADHD and reading and mathematics performance. It appears that both genetic and common family or school environments link ADHD with academic performance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Achievement*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / genetics*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
  • Child
  • Diseases in Twins / genetics*
  • Diseases in Twins / psychology*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics
  • Humans
  • Learning Disabilities / genetics*
  • Learning Disabilities / psychology*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Mathematics*
  • Models, Genetic
  • Models, Psychological
  • Phenotype
  • Reading*
  • Social Environment*