Study Identifies Significant Genetic Overlap Between ADHD, Dyslexia

September 30, 2024ADHD and dyslexia share 174 genes and 49 genetic regions, according to a new study published in Molecular Psychiatry.

The findings suggest that ADHD more closely resembles a learning difference than a psychiatric disorder.1Led by a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, UK, the study aimed to find common genes underlying dyslexia and 10 neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, autism, anorexia nervosa, anxiety, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome.The researchers identified five genetically linked clusters, known as latent genomic factors, that revealed ADHD to be more significantly associated with attention and learning issues than it is with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and Tourette syndrome.Further analysis showed that dyslexia and ADHD share 49 genetic regions, 40 of which were newly discovered, and 174 genes, including 121 previously unidentified ones.Dyslexia is a language-based learning disorder with neurodevelopmental origins.

It is characterized by reduced accuracy and speed in reading and spelling. Dyslexia and ADHD are highly comorbid. Roughly one-quarter to 40% of individuals with ADHD also have dyslexia.2“Considerable overlap exists between dyslexia and ADHD,” said Cheryl Chase, Ph.D., in the ADDitude webinar “When Dyslexia and ADHD Overlap: Symptoms, Misconceptions, and Interventions.” “ADHD and dyslexia are both linked to problems in school and with learning, but for different reasons.

Ultimately, these overlapping traits complicate evaluations for ADHD and dyslexia, especially when both conditions are present.