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Association of a Monoamine Oxidase-A Gene Promoter Polymorphism With ADHD and Anxiety in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the MAO-A gene and severity of ADHD and anxiety in boys with ASD. Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for 5- to 14-year-old boys with ASD (n = 43). Planned comparisons indicated that children with the 4- versus 3-repeat allele had significantly (p < 05) more severe parent-rated ADHD inattention and impulsivity, and more severe teacher-rated symptoms of generalized anxiety. Our results support a growing body of research indicating that concomitant behavioral disturbances in children with ASD warrant consideration as clinical phenotypes, but replication with independent samples is necessary to confirm this preliminary finding.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GCRC grant No. M01RR10710), National Alliance for Autism Research, and the Matt and Debra Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders. The authors wish to thank Dr. John Pomeroy for supervising the clinical diagnoses, Dr. Joseph Schwartz for statistical consultation, and two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kenneth D. Gadow.

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Roohi, J., DeVincent, C.J., Hatchwell, E. et al. Association of a Monoamine Oxidase-A Gene Promoter Polymorphism With ADHD and Anxiety in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 67–74 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0600-8

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