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A Study of how Socioeconomic Status Moderates the Relationship between SNPs Encompassing BDNF and ADHD Symptom Counts in ADHD Families

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Abstract

Recent animal research suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), may mediate response to different environmental stimuli. In this paper, we evaluated the possible role of BDNF as a moderator of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the context of different socioeconomic classes. We genotyped ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in and around BDNF in 229 families and evaluate whether there are SNP-by-socioeconomic status (SES) interactions for attention deficit hyperactivity. We developed three quantitative phenotypes for ADHD from nine inattentive and nine hyperactive-impulsive symptoms that were used in SNP-by-SES interaction analyses using a new methodology implemented in the computer program PBAT. Findings were adjusted for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate. We found multiple significant SNP-by-SES interactions using the inattentive symptom count. This study suggests that different SES classes may modify the effect of the functional variant(s) in and around BDNF to have an impact on the number of ADHD symptom counts that are observed. The two exons within BDNF represent potential functional variants that may be causing the observed associations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Genetics Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    J. Lasky-Su & Stephen V. Faraone

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    C. Lange & N. M. Laird

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

    M. T. Tsuang

  4. Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    A. E. Doyle & J. Biederman

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    J. W. Smoller

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  1. J. Lasky-Su
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  2. Stephen V. Faraone
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  3. C. Lange
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  4. M. T. Tsuang
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  5. A. E. Doyle
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  6. J. W. Smoller
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  7. N. M. Laird
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  8. J. Biederman
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Correspondence to Stephen V. Faraone.

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Lasky-Su, J., Faraone, S.V., Lange, C. et al. A Study of how Socioeconomic Status Moderates the Relationship between SNPs Encompassing BDNF and ADHD Symptom Counts in ADHD Families. Behav Genet 37, 487–497 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-006-9136-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-006-9136-x

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