Summary: According to a recent study, adults with ADHD exhibit brain changes similar to those seen in early-stage dementia, such as increased blood levels of neurofilament light chain ( NFL ) and higher iron accumulation. Researchers used advanced MRI scans and blood tests to identify elevated iron levels in crucial mental regions and warning signs of brain damage in ADHD patients as opposed to good people.
These symbols are well-known to cause neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s. The results highlight the value of early ADHD diagnosis and treatment, which point to a potential biological link between a higher risk of memory later in life.
Important Information:
- Iron Accumulation: Adults with ADHD had more mental metal in areas that were related to mental performance.
- Nerve Damage Indicator: In ADHD people, increased blood levels of NfL, a sign of axonal damage, were discovered.
- Dementia Link: The association of NfL and brass accumulation suggests that ADHD may raise the risk of aging-related dementia.
University of Geneva
Similar changes are observed in an adult head with or without ADHD that are present in people who have dementia.
These are the results of a study conducted by the Geneva University Hospitals ( HUG) and the University of Geneva ( UNIGE ), which found that patients with ADHD have higher levels of neurofilaments ( NFL ) in their blood as well as more iron in some of their brains than healthy people.
These symbols, which are frequently associated with older-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s, can be used to evaluate its earlier stages.
The study provides the primary evidence for a neural system potentially involved in the study’s confirmation that ADHD may remain linked to an increased risk of dementia later in life.
The journal Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences describes this major advance.  ,
According to a 2008 World Health Organization ( WHO ) study, ADHD is a frequently occurring neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about 3.5 % of adults. It has an ability to concentrate and inappropriate levels of impulsivity and hyperactivity.
Although symptoms typically appear in adolescence and have a significant impact on social interactions and academic development, they can still have an impact on daily living in adulthood.
According to WHO figures for 2023, there are almost 10 million new cases of dementia caused by age-related dementia in 55 million people worldwide each year. These memory circumstances range in severity from 60 to 70 % due to Alzheimer’s disease.
The method by which ADHD constitutes a threat is unknown, according to Professor Paul G. Unschuld, Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry of the HUG, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and the lead author of the study.” New clinical studies show that adults who have ADHD are more likely to have memory at an innovative age.
Iron and neurofilaments as indicators ,
The research team examined the iron content in the brains of 32 adults between the ages of 25 and 45 who were both affected by ADHD and 29 healthy people in the same age range using a modern brain imaging technique known as quantitative susceptibility mapping ( QSM) using magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ).
The participants ‘ blood levels of neurofilament light chain protein ( NFL ) were continuously monitored.
The findings of the study reveal significant variations in the amount of iron in the people who have ADHD in various brain regions. Additionally, a clear correlation was established between NfL levels in the blood and iron levels in the precentral brain.
Iron is a crucial component of normal brain function, but abnormal accumulation of it may result in neuronal damage and the development of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Professor Paul Unschuld points out that “excess metal is frequently observed in some brain areas and is related to increased oxidative stress, which contributes to cerebral degeneration.”
In addition, the NfL serves as a gauge for neuronal damage in the brain, particularly cerebral axons, which are crucial for brain transmission. Player levels in large blood reflect brain damage caused by axon damage.
In consequence, a higher brain iron and Squad levels may point to an increased risk of degenerative dementia in older age and an underlying neurodegenerative pathology.
These findings establish the existence of a link between ADHD and an increased chance of dementia in older people and provide the primary neurological system.
The value of identifying and managing Ad early
These findings help to advance research into the reasons why those with ADHD may be more likely to experience memory.
According to Professor Paul Unschuld, the information gathered by this review” may help targeted prevention approaches to be developed to reduce the risk of memory in people with ADHD.” This is particularly crucial because it is well known that life and mental alteration are related.
To accomplish this, more longitudinal studies are necessary to determine whether a reduction of brain iron levels is a possible treatment strategy for treating dementia in people with ADHD at an advanced age.
Additionally, the association between memory and ADHD emphasizes the value of early identification of these conditions. It also emphasizes the value of proactive treatment of ADHD in adults in order to enhance both individual quality of life and reduce long-term effects on mental health.
Funding: Professor Paul G. Unschuld received a SPARK grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNSF).
About this research on ADHD and memory.
Author: Antoine Guenot
Source: University of Geneva
Contact: Antoine Guenot – University of Geneva
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Open access to original analysis
By Paul G. Unschuld et cetera.,” Brain metal weight and neuroaxonal risk in mature attention-deficit adhd disorder” Clinical Neurosciences and Psychiatry
Abstract
Child Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder head iron weight and neuroaxonal vulnerability
Aim
An increased risk of dementia in older age may be linked to an adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD). Here, we examined the link between degenerative brain disease in adult ADHD, which may be explained by elevated brain iron content and neuroaxonal vulnerability.
Methods
A total of 32 sex-matched controls (32 sex-matched controls ) and 32 adults with ADHD underwent MRI, standard diagnostic tests, and live factor assessment. Magnetic abnormalities that suggested local changes to iron deposition in the brain were analyzed using quantitative susceptibility mapping ( QSM).
Local metal testimony was assessed for statistically significant disparities between ADHD and good regulates using the calculation of QSM-maps. Utilizing a fourth-generation ELLA immunoassay, plasma neurofilament light chain ( NfL ) levels were used as a measure of neuroaxonal integrity.
Results
Brain iron content differed in persons with ADHD, with strongest effects observable in the right precentral cortex ( healthy controls: 0.0033 ± 0.0017ppm, ADHD: 0.0048 ± 0.0016ppm,  , t ( 59 ) = 3.56,  , P <, 0.001 ). Moreover, right precentral cortex iron in persons with ADHD was associated with increased blood NfL levels ( F ( 1.57 ) = 13.2,  , P = 0.001,  , r2 = 0.19 ).
Conclusion
Our findings reveal alterations to the regional iron content of ADHD-related adults. The observed association between increased precentral magnetic susceptibility and increased NfL suggests a link between a local excess of brain iron and neuroaxonal damage in ADHD.
Further longitudinal studies are required to determine whether altered brain iron distribution in adults with ADHD may be related to an increased risk of dementia at old age given the limited sample size of the current study and the naturalistic medication plan.
