Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34413283›Full record

SynthesisTranslational psychiatry2021

Cortisol and inflammatory biomarker levels in youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): evidence from a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Jane Pei-Chen Chang, Kuan-Pin Su, Valeria Mondelli, Carmine M Pariante

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Translational psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Could Low Serum TWEAK Levels Serve as a Biomarker for Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with ADHD, Specifically the Predominantly Inattentive Subtype?Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Jane Pei-Chen ChangDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. peko80@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-5582-0928
Kuan-Pin SuDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4501-2502
Valeria MondelliDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8690-6839
Carmine M ParianteDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9132-5091
King's College London · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G108/603Medical Research Council MR/J002739/1Medical Research Council MR/L014815/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Several studies reported abnormal cortisol and inflammatory biomarker levels in youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the results have not been conclusive. We conducted a systematic review followed by a meta-analysis of case-control studies assessing blood or saliva cortisol levels and blood levels of inflammatory biomarkers in youth with ADHD. The effect sizes (ES) were synthesized by using a random-effects model. In the 19 studies on cortisol levels (totaling n = 916 youth with ADHD and n = 947 typically developing (TD), healthy youth), youth with ADHD have lower basal cortisol levels at any time-points during the day (effect size: .68; p = 0.004) and lower cumulative levels of cortisol (ES: .39, p = .008) throughout the day than TD youth. Moreover, morning cortisol levels were lower in ADHD youth when compared with TD youth (14 studies, n = 1679, ES: .84, p = 0.003), while there is no difference for the afternoon cortisol levels (p = 0.48). The meta-analysis on inflammation biomarker was conducted on 4 studies (totaling n = 404 youth) showed that Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) was lower in ADHD when compared with TD (3 studies, n = 257 youth, p = 0.004), while no differences for Interleukin-1β(IL-1β) (p = 0.21), IL-6 (p = 0.09) and IL-10 (p = 0.77). The lower cortisol in the context of low TNF-α levels may indicate a specific pattern of biomarkers in ADHD, and further investigation is warranted.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityHydrocortisoneAdolescentBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesHumansSalivaBiomarkersHydrocortisone

Identifiers

PMID34413283
PMCPMC8377148
OpenAlexW3195362207

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.