Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disability: a study of association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphisms.

Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been found in several studies of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) but the two diseases are not always associated. Several lines of evidence implicate the involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in ADHD, and it may also be relevant in ID due to its known involvement in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) and in learning/memory functions. We genotyped paediatric patients with ADHD and ID for the Val66Met and 270 C/T polymorphisms in BDNF. Diagnosis of ADHD and ID was confirmed by the clinicians in accordance with DSM-IV criteria. The G/A genotype of the Val66Met SNP was associated with both ADHD and ID, and the G allele was significantly associated with ADHD. The C/C genotype of the C270T SNP was significantly overrepresented in both ADHD and ID groups compared with the controls. Data suggest that both BDNF polymorphisms could play a role in the etiology of ADHD. In addition, we present the first results suggesting that these BDNF SNPs are significantly associated with ID.