What is the Cause of Inattentive ADHD

The cause of Inattentive ADHD used to be a total mystery. Psychiatrist would tell patients and parents that no one knew for sure what caused ADHD. Some psychiatrist still tell patients and parents this but the truth is that we know a lot more about what causes Inattentive ADHD today then we did even a year ago.

There is a great book on the causes of ADHD  and I will mention it at the end of this post but let me give you the basic of what we know, so far,  of the causes of Inattentive ADHD.

There is no one cause of Inattentive ADHD. There are thought to be many factors that contribute to this problem. Researchers, over the past 60 years have been exploring the causes of ADHD and now know that what is happening in the brain is a complex interplay of many factors including:

• Genetic factors
• Neurotransmitter factors
• Brain factors
• Environmental Exposure factors
• Dietary factors
• Lifestyle factors
• Maternal and Fetal factors

There is not one gene that causes Inattentive ADHD (ADHD-PI). There are many genes that can lead to these Inattentive and disorganization symptoms. It will take many years to sort out the genetics of Inattentive ADHD but it looks as though the genetic picture of someone with Inattentive ADHD in China will look different from the genetic picture of someone with ADHD-PI from Chicago or from Iran. We also now know that there is not likely just one gene but perhaps several that can all cause symptoms of Inattentive ADHD.

There is not one or two neurotransmitters amiss when it comes to the cause of Inattentive ADHD. It is now believed that perhaps many or all the neurotransmitters and their receptors may be working improperly. We once believed that dopamine and norepiniphrine malfunctions were the main problems causing ADHD symptoms. Dopamine problems caused impulsive behavior and hyperactivity and norepinephrine malfunctions caused inattentiveness. We now know that dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate, serotonin, and maybe a neurotransmitter known as PEA all may contribute to the symptoms of Inattentive ADHD.

There is not one environmental toxin that cause Inattentive ADHD, there have been many environmental factors that have been found to cause Inattentive ADHD. Some of the factors include include pesticides, lead exposure, fetal alcohol exposure, fetal nicotine exposure, exposure to maternal depression and exposure to maternal stress to name a few. Recently I read a study that cited Pitocin ( a drug widely used during pregnancy and labor to induce delivery) as increasing the risk of ADHD.

There is not one dietary factor that may be a cause of Inattentive ADHD, there are several. Omega-3 fatty acids, Zinc and Magnesium deficiencies have been found in children with ADHD and one study found that as many as 30% of kids with ADHD may have allergies to food dyes or other foods such as eggs, wheat or milk.  According to several studies, children with low protein diets are also more likely to have ADHD symptoms .

Lifestyle factors such as exercise, avoiding oxidants such as excess alcohol and nicotine, brain training activities such as cross word puzzles and cognitive practice as well as drinking coffee, green tea and some natural herbs such as Bacopa Monieri have also been found in studies to help ameliorate the symptoms of ADHD-PI.  One study found that the oxidant level in the brain of people with ADHD was abnormally high.  Researchers have yet to understand what causes these abnormal oxidant levels but substances such as green tea, coffee and Bacopa (which are antioxidants) may help Inattentive ADHD by normalizing the brain's oxidant status.

It would be nice to find one tidy cause of Inattentive ADHD.  If ADHD-PI was like Strep throat, we could kill the Strep and be done with it.  This is not to be, there will not be one quick cure found for Inattentive ADHD.

As you can see, the causes of  Inattentive ADHD not only numerous, they are also multifaceted. Researchers are moving quickly in their quest to unravel the causes of this problem and they have learned quite a bit. Unfortunately, there is still quite a bit left to learn.

Dr. Joel Nigg has written an excellent and easy to read book on the causes of ADHD.  His book is:
What Causes ADHD?: Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why.



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