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Parasitic infections as potential risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children

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Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represents a mysterious neuropsychiatric alarming concern due to indefinite etiopathogenesis among children. Notably, the studies which investigated the correlation between ADHD and parasitic infections are insufficient. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the correlation between ADHD and some tissue dwelling and intestinal parasitic infections in children. The study was conducted on 200 children, including 100 children suffering from ADHD (Group I) and 100 healthy children as a control group (Group II). All caregivers fulfilled predesigned sociodemographic form and Conners parent rating scale (CPRS-48) questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to determine hemoglobin level as well as relative eosinophilic count. The presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and anti-Toxocara IgG in serum by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was further investigated. Also, micronutrients as zinc, iron, and copper levels were measured. Schistosoma antigen was investigated in urine samples. Stool samples were subjected to direct wet smear, concentration technique and modified Ziehl–Neelsen (MZN) staining for coccidian parasites detection. Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica antigens were investigated in stool samples. Group I expressed more liability to sociodemographic risk factors, decreased levels of Hb, iron, zinc, and copper with statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Comparison between Group I and Group II regarding the detected parasitic infections exhibited statistically significant difference except Schistosoma antigen positivity which expressed no statistical significance. The present study concluded that the parasitic infections with their consequences are potential risk factors in children with ADHD indicating that their early diagnosis and treatment may help in ADHD prevention.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Dalia A. Elmehy, Basma M. Elmansory, Ghada A. Gamea & Amina M. Salama

  2. Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Dina I. Abdelhai

  3. Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Sherief M. Abd-Elsalam

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kafr El Shiekh University, Kafr El Shiekh, Egypt

    Abeer M. Salamah

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Dina S. Ata

  6. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Eman F. Mahmoud

  7. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Hoda A. Ibrahim

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  1. Dalia A. Elmehy
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by AMS, DAE and AMS. The first draft of the manuscript was written by DAE and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”

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Correspondence to Dalia A. Elmehy.

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This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Tanta University (Approval code: 34477).

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Elmehy, D.A., Elmansory, B.M., Gamea, G.A. et al. Parasitic infections as potential risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. J Parasit Dis 47, 82–92 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-022-01542-x

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