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Sleep and COMT polymorphism in ADHD children: preliminary actigraphic data.

Gruber R, Grizenko N, Schwartz G, Ben Amor L, Gauthier J, de Guzman R, Joober R

Douglas Hospital Research Centre and McGill University, Montreal. reut.gruber@douglas.mcgill.ca

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) polymorphism modulates aspects of sleep in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: Nightly sleep actigraphic recordings during a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical study (1 week of 0.5 mg/kg MPH; 1 week of placebo) were obtained for 34 children, 7.4 to 12 years old, diagnosed with ADHD (DSM-IV). Diagnosis was generated by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and was confirmed by multidisciplinary consensus. RESULTS: Children who were Val allele carriers had poorer sleep continuity compared with children with the Met-Met genotype while receiving a placebo and while receiving methylphenidate. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study support the hypothesis that sleep disturbances in children with ADHD are related to the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder.

Published 25 July 2006 in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 45(8): 982-9.
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