A new study has found that autism and ADHD may be more alike than we thought.
Instead of just looking at them as separate conditions, researchers now believe they may share the same biological roots. This could change how doctors understand, diagnose, and treat both conditions.
The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. It was led by Dr. Adriana Di Martino, a senior researcher and the founding director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute.
Her team studied the brain activity of 166 children between the ages of 6 and 12 who had either autism or ADHD but not both. All the children in the study were verbal, meaning they could speak and communicate.
The researchers used a special brain scan called resting-state functional MRI to study how different parts of the brain communicate when a person is not doing any specific task. They found that the severity of autism symptoms was linked to certain patterns of brain activity—regardless of whether the child was officially diagnosed with autism or ADHD.
Specifically, the children with more severe autism symptoms had stronger connections between two brain networks: the frontoparietal (FP) network and the default-mode (DM) network. These brain areas are important for things like social skills and decision-making.
In typically developing children, the connection between these networks becomes weaker as they grow older. But in this study, stronger connections were linked to more serious symptoms, suggesting that the brain might be developing differently in these children.
This finding is important because it shows that some children with ADHD may have brain patterns that look similar to those seen in autism. This supports what many doctors have noticed: some kids with ADHD show behaviors that are very similar to those in children with autism, even if they don’t meet all the criteria for an autism diagnosis.
To understand more about the biology behind these brain changes, the researchers also looked at which genes are active in the brain areas involved. They used a computer method that compares brain scan data to gene expression maps from previous studies.
What they found was striking: the same genes linked to both autism and ADHD were active in the parts of the brain where they saw unusual connections. Most of these genes are important for brain development.
This kind of research could help scientists develop better tests and treatments for children with these conditions. Instead of only focusing on diagnoses, future treatments could be based on a child’s specific brain and symptom patterns.
The researchers say their findings show why we need to look at mental health in new ways. Instead of seeing conditions like autism and ADHD as completely separate, we should think of them as part of a spectrum.
This approach is called a dimensional model, and it focuses on symptoms and biology rather than just labels. It could lead to more personalized treatments in the future.
Dr. Di Martino says that this research offers a more complete picture of how autism and ADHD affect the brain. It helps explain why some children show symptoms of both conditions and supports the idea that they may share a common biological background.
The study also highlights the importance of tools like the Healthy Brain Network, a program run by the Child Mind Institute. This program gives children free mental health assessments and helps researchers collect brain scan data and other health information from thousands of young people.
In summary, this research shows that brain activity and gene patterns linked to autism symptoms can be found in children with ADHD as well. It gives hope for better, more targeted treatments and a better understanding of how these conditions develop and overlap.
If you care about autism, please read studies about a new cause of autism, and cats may help decrease anxiety for kids with autism.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about vitamin D that may hold the clue to more autism, and results showing strange eating habits may signal autism.
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