Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor α4 Subunit Gene Variation Associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Previous pharmacological, human genetics, and animal models have implicated the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α4 subunit (CHRNA4) gene in the pathogenesis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study is to examine the genetic association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CHRNA4 gene (rs2273502, rs1044396, rs1044397, and rs3827020 loci) and ADHD. Both case-control and family-based designs are used. Children aged 6 to 16 years were interviewed and assessed with the children behavior checklist and the revised conner' parent rating scale to identify probands. No significant differences in the frequency distribution of genotypes or alleles were found between the case and control groups. However, further haplotype analyses showed the CCGG haplotype on risk for ADHD in 164 case-control samples and the standard transmission disequilibrium test analyses suggest that the allele C of rs2273502 was over-transferred in 98 ADHD parent-offspring trios. These findings suggest that the CHRNA4 gene may play a role in the pathogenesis of ADHD.