Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years

Irene Campos-Sánchez; Eva María Navarrete-Muñoz; Dries S. Martens; Isolina Riaño-Galán; Aitana Lertxundi; Sabrina Llop; Mónica Guxens; Cristina Rodríguez-Dehli; Nerea Lertxundi; Raquel Soler-Blasco; Martine Vrijheid; Tim S. Nawrot; John Wright; Tiffany C. Yang; Rosie McEachan; Kristine Bjerve Gützkow; Vaia Lida Chatzi; Marina Vafeiadi; Mariza Kampouri; Regina Grazuleviciene; Sandra Andrusaityte; Johanna Lepeule; Desirée Valera-Gran

doi:10.1177/10870547251314923

Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years

Irene Campos-Sánchez, Eva María Navarrete-Muñoz^*, Dries S. Martens, Isolina Riaño-Galán, Aitana Lertxundi, Sabrina Llop, Mónica Guxens, Cristina Rodríguez-Dehli, Nerea Lertxundi, Raquel Soler-Blasco, Martine Vrijheid, Tim S. Nawrot, John Wright, Tiffany C. Yang, Rosie McEachan, Kristine Bjerve Gützkow, Vaia Lida Chatzi, Marina Vafeiadi, Mariza Kampouri, Regina GrazulevicieneSandra Andrusaityte, Johanna Lepeule, Desirée Valera-Gran

^*Corresponding author for this work

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective:

To explore the association between telomere length (TL) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years.

Method:

Data from 1,759 children belonging to the HELIX project cohorts and the Asturias, Gipuzkoa and Valencia cohorts of INMA project were included. TL was determined by blood sample using a PCR protocol. ADHD symptoms were described by parents using the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form. Multiple negative binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations.

Results:

Overall estimates showed no associations between TL and ADHD symptoms. However, we observed that a longer TL was significantly associated with a lower risk of presenting hyperactivity symptoms in children belonging to the HELIX project (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 0.99]; p =.022).

Conclusion:

While our study did not find a consistent association between TL and ADHD symptoms across all cohorts, the significant association found within the HELIX cohort suggests that longer TL may be linked to a lower risk of hyperactivity symptoms. Further research is needed to explore this association in more detail.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	474-485
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Attention Disorders
Volume	29
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251314923
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 29 Jan 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.

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Campos-Sánchez, I., Navarrete-Muñoz, E. M., Martens, D. S., Riaño-Galán, I., Lertxundi, A., Llop, S., Guxens, M., Rodríguez-Dehli, C., Lertxundi, N., Soler-Blasco, R., Vrijheid, M., Nawrot, T. S., Wright, J., Yang, T. C., McEachan, R., Gützkow, K. B., Chatzi, V. L., Vafeiadi, M., Kampouri, M., ... Valera-Gran, D. (2025). Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years. Journal of Attention Disorders, 29(6), 474-485. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251314923

@article{1bf9b6bea6704d41ab547c9d2f5b6118,

title = "Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years",

abstract = "Objective: To explore the association between telomere length (TL) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years. Method: Data from 1,759 children belonging to the HELIX project cohorts and the Asturias, Gipuzkoa and Valencia cohorts of INMA project were included. TL was determined by blood sample using a PCR protocol. ADHD symptoms were described by parents using the Conners{\textquoteright} Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form. Multiple negative binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations.Results: Overall estimates showed no associations between TL and ADHD symptoms. However, we observed that a longer TL was significantly associated with a lower risk of presenting hyperactivity symptoms in children belonging to the HELIX project (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 0.99]; p =.022). Conclusion: While our study did not find a consistent association between TL and ADHD symptoms across all cohorts, the significant association found within the HELIX cohort suggests that longer TL may be linked to a lower risk of hyperactivity symptoms. Further research is needed to explore this association in more detail.",

author = "Irene Campos-S{\'a}nchez and Navarrete-Mu{\~n}oz, {Eva Mar{\'i}a} and Martens, {Dries S.} and Isolina Ria{\~n}o-Gal{\'a}n and Aitana Lertxundi and Sabrina Llop and M{\'o}nica Guxens and Cristina Rodr{\'i}guez-Dehli and Nerea Lertxundi and Raquel Soler-Blasco and Martine Vrijheid and Nawrot, {Tim S.} and John Wright and Yang, {Tiffany C.} and Rosie McEachan and G{\"u}tzkow, {Kristine Bjerve} and Chatzi, {Vaia Lida} and Marina Vafeiadi and Mariza Kampouri and Regina Grazuleviciene and Sandra Andrusaityte and Johanna Lepeule and Desir{\'e}e Valera-Gran",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1177/10870547251314923",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "474--485",

journal = "Journal of Attention Disorders",

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Campos-Sánchez, I, Navarrete-Muñoz, EM, Martens, DS, Riaño-Galán, I, Lertxundi, A, Llop, S, Guxens, M, Rodríguez-Dehli, C, Lertxundi, N, Soler-Blasco, R, Vrijheid, M, Nawrot, TS, Wright, J, Yang, TC, McEachan, R, Gützkow, KB, Chatzi, VL, Vafeiadi, M, Kampouri, M, Grazuleviciene, R, Andrusaityte, S, Lepeule, J & Valera-Gran, D 2025, 'Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years', Journal of Attention Disorders, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 474-485. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251314923

TY - JOUR

T1 - Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years

AU - Campos-Sánchez, Irene

AU - Navarrete-Muñoz, Eva María

AU - Martens, Dries S.

AU - Riaño-Galán, Isolina

AU - Lertxundi, Aitana

AU - Llop, Sabrina

AU - Guxens, Mónica

AU - Rodríguez-Dehli, Cristina

AU - Lertxundi, Nerea

AU - Soler-Blasco, Raquel

AU - Vrijheid, Martine

AU - Nawrot, Tim S.

AU - Wright, John

AU - Yang, Tiffany C.

AU - McEachan, Rosie

AU - Gützkow, Kristine Bjerve

AU - Chatzi, Vaia Lida

AU - Vafeiadi, Marina

AU - Kampouri, Mariza

AU - Grazuleviciene, Regina

AU - Andrusaityte, Sandra

AU - Lepeule, Johanna

AU - Valera-Gran, Desirée

PY - 2025/1/29

Y1 - 2025/1/29

N2 - Objective: To explore the association between telomere length (TL) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years. Method: Data from 1,759 children belonging to the HELIX project cohorts and the Asturias, Gipuzkoa and Valencia cohorts of INMA project were included. TL was determined by blood sample using a PCR protocol. ADHD symptoms were described by parents using the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form. Multiple negative binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations.Results: Overall estimates showed no associations between TL and ADHD symptoms. However, we observed that a longer TL was significantly associated with a lower risk of presenting hyperactivity symptoms in children belonging to the HELIX project (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 0.99]; p =.022). Conclusion: While our study did not find a consistent association between TL and ADHD symptoms across all cohorts, the significant association found within the HELIX cohort suggests that longer TL may be linked to a lower risk of hyperactivity symptoms. Further research is needed to explore this association in more detail.

AB - Objective: To explore the association between telomere length (TL) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years. Method: Data from 1,759 children belonging to the HELIX project cohorts and the Asturias, Gipuzkoa and Valencia cohorts of INMA project were included. TL was determined by blood sample using a PCR protocol. ADHD symptoms were described by parents using the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form. Multiple negative binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations.Results: Overall estimates showed no associations between TL and ADHD symptoms. However, we observed that a longer TL was significantly associated with a lower risk of presenting hyperactivity symptoms in children belonging to the HELIX project (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 0.99]; p =.022). Conclusion: While our study did not find a consistent association between TL and ADHD symptoms across all cohorts, the significant association found within the HELIX cohort suggests that longer TL may be linked to a lower risk of hyperactivity symptoms. Further research is needed to explore this association in more detail.

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U2 - 10.1177/10870547251314923

DO - 10.1177/10870547251314923

M3 - Article

C2 - 39878307

AN - SCOPUS:85216757697

SN - 1087-0547

VL - 29

SP - 474

EP - 485

JO - Journal of Attention Disorders

JF - Journal of Attention Disorders

IS - 6

ER -

Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6–12 Years

Abstract

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