Project Overview

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common disorder that impacts development of the brain. ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity and inattention in children; the consequences of which can lead to more frequent need for health care and loss of productivity as an adult. While drugs exist to treat ADHD, these are not without side-effects and these drugs do not work for all children. The result of many studies have taught us that ADHD is highly genetic, yet how specific genes associated with the disorder give rise to ADHD is poorly understood. As neural circuits in the brain rely on the connection of nerve cells to enable how we think, feel, hear and see, studies have naturally assessed how nerve cells called neurons contribute to ADHD.

In our recent work, where we can sequence how much of each gene is made in each cell of the brain we have identified that a number of genes associated with ADHD are found in high amounts in another class of cells in the developing brain called glial cells. Historically, glial cells were thought to be support cells to hold neural circuits together; a view which is now rapidly changing. It is now known that glial cells can play critical roles in how the brain functions. In this work, we will specifically ask how ADHD genes impact the production and functions of a type of glial cells called astrocytes during development. Understanding how glial cells contribute to the development of ADHD could allow future work to identify improved therapies and to better match children to such therapies.

Principal Investigator

Scott Yuzwa , University of Toronto