Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring of parents with depression and bipolar disorder

Abstract

Background Offspring of parents with major mood disorders (MDDs) are at increased risk for early psychopathology. We aim to compare the rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and controls. Method We established a lifetime diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, communication disorders, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disorders, and motor disorders] using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime Version in 400 participants (mean age 11.3 + s.d. 3.9 years), including 93 offspring of parents with bipolar disorder, 182 offspring of parents with major depressive disorder, and 125 control offspring of parents with no mood disorder. Results Neurodevelopmental disorders were elevated in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder [odds ratio (OR) 2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23–4.47, p = 0.010] and major depressive disorder (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.03–3.39, p = 0.035) compared to controls. This difference was driven by the rates of ADHD, which were highest among offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (30.1%), intermediate in offspring of parents with major depressive disorder (24.2%), and lowest in controls (14.4%). There were no significant differences in frequencies of other neurodevelopmental disorders between the three groups. Chronic course of mood disorder in parents was associated with higher rates of any neurodevelopmental disorder and higher rates of ADHD in offspring. Conclusions Our findings suggest monitoring for ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring of parents with MDDs may be indicated to improve early diagnosis and treatment.

Cortical and Subcortical Structural Differences in Psychostimulant-Free ADHD Youth With and Without a Family History of Bipolar I Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Morphometric Comparison

“…However, prior imaging studies suggest that psychostimulant treatment attenuates regional gray matter de cits in ADHD subjects [35][36][37][38]. A second possibility is that previous ADHD studies did not control for BD family history, which is associated with high rates of ADHD [12,14] and regional structural abnormalities [21,[32][33][34] compared with healthy subjects.…”

“…ADHD prevalence rates in youth with BD are substantially higher than the general population, particularly in pre-pubescent children [4][5][6], and antecedent ADHD increases the risk for developing BD [7]. Additionally, BD and ADHD share overlapping genetic liability [8,9], and having a rst-degree relative with BD is a robust risk factor for both BD [10][11][12] and ADHD [13,14]. Youth with ADHD and a rst-degree relative with BD also present with more severe symptom pro les, including more severe ADHD hyperactivity/impulsivity, mania, and depression, as well as parent-reported ratings of emotional dysregulation compared with ADHD youth with healthy parents [15].…”

Aberrant Neurofunctional Responses During Emotional and Attentional Processing Differentiate ADHD Youth With and Without a Family History of Bipolar I Disorder

“…Prevalence rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in youth with bipolar I disorder (BD) are substantially higher than the general population (Fahrendorff et al, 2023), and ADHD commonly precedes the initial onset of BD (Axelson et al, 2015;Meier et al 2018;Singh et al, 2006). Having a first-degree relative with BD is a robust risk factor for both BD (Mortensen et al, 2003;Birmaher et al, 2022) and ADHD (Lau et al, 2018;Propper et al, 2023), and youth with ADHD and a first-degree relative with BD present with more severe mood and externalizing symptoms compared to youth with ADHD and no familiy history of BD (Chen et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2015). A metaanalysis of prospective studies found that antecedent ADHD significantly increased the risk for developing BD relative to healthy youth without ADHD, and that BD offspring with ADHD exhibit higher conversion rates compared with ADHD youth without a BD family history (Brancati et al, 2021).…”

Psychosocial Basis of Human Sufferings and Poverty in Patients with Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

“…[ 19 – 22 ] Moreover, parental psychopathology and related burden in children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are frequently described in contemporary literature. [ 23 – 27 ] Intricate relationship between the presence of tics, Tourette’s syndrome, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with a positive family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), again speaks in favor of allelic heterogeneity/cross-disorder and puts forth the idea of the shared anatomical and pathobiological basis of some neurological and psychiatric disorders. [ 28 , 29 ]…”