University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
J Atten Disord. 2021 May;25(7):906-919. doi: 10.1177/1087054719865776. Epub 2019 Aug 2.
Previous research examining telomeres in individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders shows that greater illness, symptoms, or cognitive impairment are linked with shorter telomeres. However, the relationships of telomere length and neuropsychological processes or psychiatric symptoms are not understood in individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). : 390 young adults with and without ADHD completed a multi-informant diagnostic assessment and neuropsychological testing battery. Participant DNA was isolated from saliva samples, and telomere length was determined using qPCR. Linear regression models demonstrated the only significant association to survive correction for multiple testing was for childhood hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms and longer telomere length. : Contrary to expectations, longer telomere length in young adults was associated only with childhood ADHD symptoms, particularly hyperactivity-impulsivity, in this sample. These findings are an important demonstration that the neuropsychological deficits and symptoms experienced by individuals diagnosed with ADHD during adulthood may not be negatively associated with telomere length.
先前研究发现，患有神经精神疾病的个体端粒较短，与更严重的疾病、症状或认知障碍有关。然而，在注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）患者中，端粒长度与神经心理过程或精神症状之间的关系尚不清楚。390 名患有和不患有 ADHD 的年轻人完成了多信息源诊断评估和神经心理测试。从唾液样本中分离出参与者的 DNA，并用 qPCR 测定端粒长度。线性回归模型表明，只有经过多次测试校正后仍然显著的关联是儿童期多动冲动症状与较长的端粒长度之间的关联。与预期相反，在这个样本中，只有儿童期 ADHD 症状，特别是多动冲动，与年轻人的较长端粒长度相关。这些发现重要地表明，在成年后被诊断为 ADHD 的个体所经历的神经心理缺陷和症状可能与端粒长度没有负相关。
