Infection and Immunity and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a Population-Based Birth Cohort
Project
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The project examines the relationship between maternal prenatal infection and child ADHD, controlling for the potential relationship between prolonged fever and comorbid autoimmune and allergic conditions, and also provide means of evaluating additional factors that may influence the effect of early childhood infection.
Summary
Previous research has indicated that maternal prenatal infection and immune reaction are associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD. Most of these studies have, however, been hampered by retrospective designs, inadequate sample size and lack of biological data to define individual variation in responses to infection or confirm exposure through serology. Leveraging the unique properties of data sources and biological samples now available in Norway through the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), we propose to address these methodological limitations. MoBa is a nationwide, prospective pregnancy cohort that now includes 114,516 children and 95,278 mothers. The mean age of the children is now 8.5 years (range, 5 - 15). Through linkage of MoBa with the Norwegian Patient Registry, we have identified 1549 children (73% boys) with two or more registrations with a main diagnosis of ADHD. Longitudinally collected questionnaire data on types and timing of exposures will allow us to examine the relationship of prenatal infection to child ADHD, controlling for the potential relationship between prolonged fever and comorbid autoimmune and allergic conditions, and also provide means of evaluating additional factors that may influence the effect of early childhood infection. We will also investigate whether specific immunological signatures are associated with ADHD risk by comparing levels of 61 immune/inflammatory molecules in plasma of mothers (mid-gestation, birth) and children with or without ADHD using multiplexed, magnetic bead-based immunoassays employed in the Center for Infection and Immunity laboratory at Columbia University over the last decade. Finally, we will examine the association between ADHD and specific infectious agents commonly implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders: influenza viruses and the pathogens Toxoplasma gondii, rubellavirus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2.
Project leader
Helga Ask, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Project participants
Kristin Gustavson, Helse-, utviklings- og personlighetspsyk, University of Oslo
Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud, Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Kjersti Mæhlum Walle, Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Siri Eldevik Håberg, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Eivind Ystrøm, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Per Minor Magnus, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Gun Peggy Strømstad Knudsen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Siri Mjaaland, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
About the project
Start
01.01.2015
End
31.12.2025
Status
Active
Approvals
Regional committees for medical and health research ethics
Project owner/ Project manager
Norwegian Institute of Public Health