<p><br /> Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a genetic condition, research has suggested.<br /> </p><p><br /> The behaviour of children with the disorder can be explained by differences in the brain rather than parenting skills or diet, according to the study by scientists at Cardiff University.<br /> </p><p><br /> The team found rare copy number variants - where small segments of DNA are duplicated or missing - were twice as common in children with ADHD than those without the condition.<br /> </p><p><br /> According to the research, published in the Lancet, there was overlap between the affected parts of the DNA and those associated with autism and schizophrenia.<br /> </p><p><br /> The most significant overlap was found at a particular region on chromosome 16, which has previously been implicated in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders and spans a number of genes including one known to play a role in the development of the brain, the team found.<br /> </p>
