Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:

The dopamine transporter gene is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a Taiwanese sample

Molecular Psychiatry volume 8, pages 393–396 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Genetic variation of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) is of particular interest in the study of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), since stimulant drugs interact directly with the transporter protein. Association between ADHD and the 10-repeat allele of a 40-bp VNTR polymorphism that lies within the 3′-UTR of DAT1 was first reported in 1995, a finding that has been replicated in at least six independent samples from Caucasian populations. We analysed the DAT1 polymorphism in a sample of 110 Taiwanese probands with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD and found evidence of increased transmission of the 10-repeat allele using TRANSMIT (χ2=10.8, 1 d.f., p=0.001, OR=2.9, 95% CI 1.4–6.3). These data give rise to a similar odds ratio to that observed in Caucasian poplulations despite a far higher frequency of the risk allele in this Taiwanese population; 82.3% in the un-transmitted parental alleles and 94.5% in the ADHD probands. These data support the role of DAT1 in ADHD susceptibility among Asian populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cook EH, Stein MN, Krasowski MD, Cox NJ, Oitien DM, Kieffer JE, Leventhal BL et al. Association of attention deficit disorder and the dopamine transporter gene. Am J Hum Genet 1995; 56: 993–998.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Waldman ID, Rowe DC, Abramowitz A, Kozel ST, Mohr JH, Sherman SL et al. Association of the dopamine transporter (DAT1) and attention deficit disorder in children: heterogeneity owing to diagnostic subtype and severity. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 63: 1767–1776.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Gill M, Daly G, Heron S, Hawi Z, Fitzgerald M . Confirmation of association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a dopamine transporter polymorphisms. Mol Psychiatry 1997; 2: 311–313.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Daly G, Hawi Z, Fitzgerald M, Gill M . Mapping susceptibility loci in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: preferential transmission of parental alleles at DAT1, DBH and DRD5 to affected children. Mol Psychiatry 1999; 4: 192–196.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Curran S, Mill J, Tahir E, Kent L, Richards S, Gould A et al. Association study of a dopamine transporter polymorphism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in UK and Turkish samples. Mol Psychiatry 2001; 6: 425–428.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Barr CL, Xu C, Kroft J, Feng Y, Wigg KG, Zai G et al. Haplotype study of four polymorphisms at the dopamine transporter locus confirm linkage to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2001; 15: 333–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Swanson JM, Flodman P, Kennedy J, Spence AM, Moyzis R, Schuck S et al. Dopamine genes and ADHD. Neurosci biobehav Rev 2000; 24: 21–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Holmes J, Payton A, Barrett JH, Hever T, Fitzpatrick H, Trumper AL et al. A family-based and case–control association study of the dopamine D4 receptor gene and dopamine transporter gene in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2000; 5: 523–530.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Roman T, Schmitz M, Polanczyk G, Eizirik M, Rohde LA, Hutz MH . Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a study of association with both the dopamine transporter gene and the dopamine D4 receptor gene. Am J Med Genet 2001; 8: 471–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Palmer CG, Bailey JN, Ramsey C, Cantwell D, Sinsheimer JS, Del'Homme M et al. No evidence of linkage or linkage disequilibrium between DAT1 and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a large sample. Psychiatr Genet 1999; 9: 157–160.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Faraone SV, Doyle AE, Mick E Biederman J . Meta-analysis of the association between the 7-repeat allele of the dopamine D4 gene and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158: 1052–1057.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Barr CL, Wigg KG, Feng Y, Zai G, Malone M, Robert W . Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the gene for the dopamine D5 receptor. Mol Psychiatry 2000; 5: 548–551.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tahir E, Yazgan Y, Cirakoglu B, Ozbay F, Waldman I, Asherson PJ . Association and linkage of DRD4 and DRD5 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a sample of Turkish children. Mol Psychiatry 2000; 5: 396–404.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hawi Z, Dring M, Kirley A, Foley D, Kent L, Asherson P et al. Serotonergic system and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a potential susceptibility locus at the 5-HT1B receptor gene in a multi-centre sample. Mol Psychiatry 2002; 7: 718–725.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Quist JF, Barr CL, Schachar R, Roberts W, Malone M, Tannock R et al. The Serotonin 5-HT1B receptor gene and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Molecular Psychiatry 2003; in press.

  16. Falk CT, Rubinstein P . Haplotype relative risks: an easy reliable way to construct a proper control sample for risk calculations. Ann Hum Genet 1987; 51: 227–233.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Spielman RS, McGinnis RE, Ewens WJ . Transmission test for linkage disequilibrium. Am J Hum Genet 1993; 52: 506–516.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Clayton DG . A generalization of the transmission/disequilibrium test for uncertain-haplotype transmission. Am J Hum Genet 1999; 65: 1170–1177.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Millar GM, Madras BK . Polymorphisms in the 3′-untranslated region of human and monkey dopamine transporter genes affect reporter gene expression. Mol Psychiatry 2002; 7: 44–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Fuke S, Suo S, Takahashi N, Koike H, Sasagawa N, Ishiura S . The VNTR polymorphism of the human dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene affects gene expression. Pharmacogenomics 2001; 1: 152–156.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kaufman J, Birmaher B, Brent D, Rao U, Flynn C, Moneci P, et al. Schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children-present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL): initial reliability and validity data. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1997; 36: 980–988.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Conners CK . The Conners rating scales: instruments for the assessments of childhood psychopathology. Duke University, 1995.

  23. Sham PC, Cherny SS, Purcell S, Hewitt JK . Power of linkage versus association analysis of quantitative traits, by use of variance-components models, for sibship data. Am J Hum Genet 2000; 66: 1616–1630.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the Taipei City Psychiatric Center in Taiwan and the UK Medical Research Council.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan

    C-K Chen & Y-S Huang

  2. Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taiwan

    S-L Chen & S-K Lin

  3. Social Genetic Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    J Mill, S Curran, S Purcell, P Sham & P Asherson

Authors
  1. C-K Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S-L Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J Mill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Y-S Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S-K Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S Curran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. S Purcell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. P Sham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. P Asherson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P Asherson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, CK., Chen, SL., Mill, J. et al. The dopamine transporter gene is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a Taiwanese sample. Mol Psychiatry 8, 393–396 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001238

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001238

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links