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ERIC Number: EJ1481450
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: EISSN-1557-1246
Available Date: 0000-00-00
ADHD and Differences in Brain Function as Measured by EEG: Cause or Effect?
Kwangmi Ahn1; Jenny Jean2; Luke J. Norman2; Philip Shaw1,2,3
Journal of Attention Disorders, v29 n12 p1107-1117 2025
Objectives: Although extensive research has documented associations between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and differences in resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory activity, the causal nature of these relationships remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between resting-state EEG activity and ADHD using genetic methods. Methods: We performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization analysis using summary-level genome-wide association study data. EEG data were obtained from the ENIGMA-EEG consortium, including resting-state EEG spectral power measurements from 7,983 subjects. ADHD genome-wide association study summary statistics were derived from 225,534 individuals, alongside data for six additional psychiatric disorders from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Mendelian Randomization analysis was used to test for causal relationships in both directions between EEG activity and ADHD. Results: We identified a significant unidirectional causal relationship, with genetic variants influencing resting alpha-band EEG activity conferring risk for ADHD (odds ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [0.82, 0.96], p = 1.52 × 10[superscript -3]). No evidence was found for reverse causation from ADHD liability to alpha EEG power band activity (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [0.88, 1.30], p = 0.52). Conclusions: Our findings provide genetic evidence that reduced resting-state alpha power is not merely correlated with ADHD but may causally predispose individuals to developing the disorder. This supports previous observational studies linking lower alpha activity to ADHD and establishes a causal pathway from altered EEG activity to ADHD risk, with important implications for understanding ADHD pathophysiology and potential biomarker development.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH); National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: ZIAHG200378; ZIAMH002986
Author Affiliations: 1National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; 2National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; 3Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK