Solving the jigsaw! Understanding biological and environmental effects on ADHD through discordant mononozygotic twins

最近的国家心理健康调查的儿童和青少年部分确定注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)是澳大利亚儿童中最常见的行为问题。自1991年以来，我们的澳大利亚双胞胎ADHD项目(ATAP)已经发展成为世界上关于ADHD遗传学的最大项目之一，并在2001年发布了关于这一主题的第一篇文章。在这笔赠款中，我们将重点放在环境影响上，问题是为什么同卵双胞胎中的一个可以患有ADHD，而另一个却没有困难？利用澳大利亚双胞胎登记处和西澳双胞胎儿童健康研究的独特资源，我们将在全国范围内寻找100多对患有ADHD的完全不同的同卵双胞胎。通过这种方式，每个受ADHD影响的双胞胎都有一个未受影响的“对照双胞胎”，这为比较两者提供了一个强有力的手段。这样的研究实际上只可能在澳大利亚进行，因为没有其他国家拥有这样的双重研究资源。我们想对这些孩子考虑的问题包括以下1-双胞胎在出生前和出生时都更难熬。这些问题在多大程度上导致了双胞胎之间的差异？2-大脑功能的特定方面有差异吗？3-双胞胎中的一个患有ADHD，而另一个没有？如果是这样的话，孩子们的区别是什么？4--当你自己没有困难的时候，和一个患有ADHD的双胞胎一起长大是什么感觉？5-当双胞胎中的一个出现ADHD症状时，这家人是否更有可能寻求帮助，因为他们可以看到这个孩子与另一个双胞胎有多么不同？显然，只有一个患有ADHD的同卵双胞胎是一个非常独特的群体。通过涵盖发育的方方面面，从大脑功能到服务利用，这项研究希望能为这种常见疾病提供宝贵的见解，这将有助于所有被诊断为ADHD的儿童和家庭。

The recent Child and Adolescent component of the National Mental Health Survey identified Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as the most common behavioural problem among Australian children. Since 1991 our Australian Twin ADHD Project (ATAP) has developed as one of the world's largest programs on the genetics of ADHD, and in 2001 we published the first text on this topic. In this grant we turn the focus onto environmental influences with the question Why can one identical twin have ADHD, while the other twin has no difficulties? Using the unique resources of the Australian Twin Registry and the WA Twin Child Health Study, we shall work across the country to find over 100 identical twin pairs who are very different in ADHD. In this way, each ADHD affected twin has an unaffected 'control twin', offering a powerful means for comparing the two. Such a study is really only possible in Australia, as no other country has such twin resources for research. The questions we want to consider with these children include the following 1- Twins have a more difficult time before and at birth. To what extent do these problems contribute to differences between the twins? 2- Are there differences in specific aspects of brain functioning? 3- Is it that one twin grows out of their ADHD but the other does not? If so, what distinguishes the children? 4- What is it like growing up with a twin who has ADHD, when you have no difficulties yourself? 5- When one twin has ADHD symptoms, is the family more likely to seek help, as they can see how different this child is form the other twin? Obviously identical twins in wehich only one has ADHD are a very unique group. By covering all aspects of development, from brain functioning to service utilisation, the hope is that this study will provide invaluable insights into this common condition which will help all children and families where the diagnosis of ADHD has been made.