326 | id == 326
326 | category_id == 20
326 | category_order == 17
326 | category_name == Attention
326 | category_color == #C47AC0
326 | slug == BDNF-ADHD
326 | title == Can Brain Development Impact ADHD? (BDNF)
326 | meta_description == BDNF is essential to brain development. Variants of BDNF have been associated with increased risk of ADHD. Read more here.
326 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>BDNF </em>gene is essential to the development of the dopamine system. Dopamine dysfunction has been implicated in ADHD. Read more to learn how <em>BDNF </em>variants can influence ADHD, and how to mitigate the negative effects of these variants.</strong></p>
326 | overall_score_text == Your ADHD Score (based on BDNF gene)
326 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/BDNF-ADHD.jpg
326 | author_id == 14
326 | author_name == Shany Lahan
326 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
326 | author_order == 5
326 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
326 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
326 | reviewer == None
326 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
326 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
326 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
326 | publish_date == 2020
326 | publish_date == 9
326 | publish_date == 12
326 | avg_rating == 4.5
326 | tags_id == 30
326 | tags_name == ADHD
326 | tags_id == 160
326 | tags_name == BDNF Gene
326 | tags_id == 51
326 | tags_name == Dopamine
326 | tags_id == 696
326 | tags_name == Hyperactivity
326 | tags_id == 59
326 | tags_name == Learning and Memory
326 | tags_id == 57
326 | tags_name == Synaptic Plasticity
326 | permissions_favorite == False
326 | permissions_rate == False
326 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">BDNF is a protein essential to the development of the dopamine system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in emotion regulation.&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with an increased risk of ADHD.</span></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Lifestyle and supplement modifications may reduce the impact of these variants by increasing the amount of BDNF.&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>BDNF</em> and ADHD</strong></h2> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a protein essential to the growth, maturation, and survival of brain cells (neurons) during brain development [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25354496/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF also plays important roles in </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/synaptic-plasticity/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">neuroplasticity</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: a process that can strengthen, weaken, and reorganize connections between neurons [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25354496/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24668475/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Through its actions on neurons, BDNF can increase levels of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/dopamine-definition-excess/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dopamine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the brain. Dopamine is a compound (neurotransmitter) that is important in emotion regulation [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2005978/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1613515/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dysfunctions of the dopamine system have been linked to ADHD, a developmental disorder in which hyperactivity, learning deficits, and memory deficits are common symptoms [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11864719/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variants of the </span><a href="../../../gene/bdnf/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have been associated with an increased risk of ADHD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20943059/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18286632/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32056765/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3022316/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the mechanism(s) behind this association is unclear, it&rsquo;s possible that </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants may reduce the amount of active BDNF in the brain, thus promoting dysfunction of the dopamine system and giving rise to ADHD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25354496/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12553913/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your <em>BDNF</em> Results for ADHD</strong></h2> <p>*6916084254363499*</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Primary SNP</strong></span></p> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs56164415/"><strong>rs56164415</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Important SNPs</strong></span></p> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs11030104/"><strong>rs11030104</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs7103411/"><strong>rs7103411</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs2049045/"><strong>rs2049045</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs10835210/"><strong>rs10835210</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>BDNF </em></strong><a href="../../../snp/rs11030101/"><strong>rs11030101</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Increased risk of ADHD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with ADHD</span></li> </ul> <p>*9033472984019439*</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Recommendations for Improving ADHD Symptoms</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*7297328861084315*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exercise</strong></h4> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is abundant evidence showing that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">physical exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can promote neuroplasticity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17879376/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16298350/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20869354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29959048/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many studies have also demonstrated that physical exercise may have significant benefits on cognitive and behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28917364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A treadmill exercise intervention specifically increased the amount of BDNF in a rat model of ADHD. This increase was linked to improvements in learning and memory [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25061595/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a similar study of ADHD rats, exercise was found to increase both BDNF and dopamine amounts in the brain. Rats subjected to this exercise intervention also experienced a reduction in hyperactivity and an improvement in learning deficits [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21907264/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Exercise may improve ADHD-related symptoms by increasing the amount of BDNF and dopamine.&nbsp;</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Sun Exposure</strong></h4> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sun is the best source of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lack of sunlight can decrease the amount of BDNF in the brain, while exposure to sunlight can increase BDNF [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20614233"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23133609"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D has also been shown to increase dopamine levels in the blood [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31269890/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Individuals with ADHD are often deficient in vitamin D [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27924679/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29457493/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical study of children with ADHD, vitamin D was found to improve symptoms such as hyperactivity and inattention [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29457493/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The sun is the best source of vitamin D. Sunlight may improve ADHD-related symptoms by increasing the amount of BDNF and dopamine.&nbsp;</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Stress Reduction (Yoga &amp; Meditation)</strong></h4> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/stress-bad-uncovering-hidden-effects-stress/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can drastically decrease the amount of BDNF in the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16024125"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9220467"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/meditation/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">meditation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are two practices that can often be performed alongside one another, and have been shown to reduce stress in a number of studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24049209"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25558129"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395196"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22377965"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23541163"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yoga has been found to increase levels of BDNF in the brain, while meditation has been associated with increased dopamine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24049208"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11958969/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four studies of children with ADHD demonstrated significant reductions in ADHD-related hyperactivity and inattention symptoms after yoga-based interventions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5237364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768216/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15487477/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871620/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, a number of studies observed reductions in symptoms of ADHD with mindfulness-based meditation interventions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045650/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4475526/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4694553/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Yoga and meditation can decrease stress. Stress reduction may, in turn, reduce ADHD-related symptoms by increasing the amount of BDNF in the brain.&nbsp;</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Fish Oil (Omega-3)</strong></h4> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> contains DHA and EPA, two types of omega-3 fatty acids [</span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many studies have shown that fish oil can increase the amount of BDNF in the brain and promote neuroplasticity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31098654/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21720194/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16500747/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30367533/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23872044/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish oil was associated with reductions in ADHD-related symptoms in a number of clinical trials [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11817499"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469236"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17435458"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21807480/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24958525/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specifically, children with ADHD experienced significant improvements in attention and memory after fish oil supplementation [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469236"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17435458"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24958525/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Fish oil (omega-3) may improve ADHD-related symptoms by increasing the amount of BDNF in the brain.&nbsp;</span></p>
326 | content_snp_table_6916084254363499_key == 6916084254363499
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326 | content_learn_more_9033472984019439_key == 9033472984019439
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326 | content_learn_more_9033472984019439_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your BDNF gene somewhat increases your risk of ADHD. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of ADHD; it’s just one gene related to it. Exercise, sun exposure, stress reduction (yoga and meditation), and fish oil (omega-3) supplements may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs11030104,rs11030101,rs10835210,rs7103411,rs2049045,rs56164415
rsStatus = rs11030104,BDNF,chr11,27662970,A,G,,,15,12,HET
rsStatus = rs11030101,BDNF,chr11,27659197,A,G,T,,22,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs10835210,BDNF,chr11,27674363,C,A,G,,9,5,HET
rsStatus = rs7103411,BDNF,chr11,27678578,C,T,,,18,14,HET
rsStatus = rs2049045,BDNF,chr11,27672694,G,A,C,,20,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs56164415,BDNF,chr11,27700188,G,A,,,34,0,Normal
