Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39855016›Full record

ArticlePsychiatry research2025

Epigenetic age across development in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Jo Wrigglesworth, Peter D Fransquet, Peter Ryabinin, Michael A Mooney, Jeffrey M Craig, Tim J Silk

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Psychiatry research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

6 authors.

Jo WrigglesworthCentre for Social and Early Emotional Development and School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia; Biological Neuropsychiatry & Dementia Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Peter D FransquetCentre for Social and Early Emotional Development and School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia; Biological Neuropsychiatry & Dementia Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Peter RyabininKnight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Michael A MooneyKnight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Jeffrey M CraigInstitute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Tim J SilkCentre for Social and Early Emotional Development and School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: tim.silk@deakin.edu.au.

Funding

ADHD heterogeneity, mechanisms, and risk profileR37MH059105 · NIMH · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI NIGG, JOEL T · 2014 to 2023
$7.0M
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL AND FAMILIAL MARKERS FOR CHILD ADHDR01MH059105 · NIMH · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI NIGG, JOEL T · 1999 to 2012
$3.3M
Polygenic and environmental contributions to ADHD trajectory and outcome from childhood through adolescenceR01MH131685 · NIMH · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI Michael A Mooney, Molly Nikolas · 2023 to 2026
$3.1M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH059105NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH131685NIMH NIH HHS R37 MH059105
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, though symptoms vary both within and between people in the population. We aimed to investigate trajectories of individual biological aging through the change in residuals of DNA methylation age estimates (EpiAge) regressed on chronological age (EpiAge Gap) in children and adolescents with and without ADHD.

methodsThree well-established epigenetic clocks (PedBE, Horvath, and Skin & blood) were used to estimate EpiAge in 293 saliva samples from 169 participants (91 with ADHD symptoms) from the Neuroimaging of the Children's Attention Project (NICAP). Participants attended single (cross-sectional sample, n = 75) or multiple (2-3) waves of assessment (longitudinal sample, n = 94). We compared EpiAge Gap between ADHD and control groups cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and replicated these findings in a second pediatric cohort from the Oregon ADHD-1000 cohort.

resultsAcross all three clocks, EpiAge Gap was comparable between ADHD and controls from the cross-sectional sample, and was a null finding for our longitudinal analysis of change in EpiAge Gap, after FDR correction (pFDR=0.24). Both cross-sectional and longitudinal findings were consistent in the replication cohort.

conclusionThis study found no strong evidence of differential epigenetic aging in developing children and adolescents with or without ADHD. Larger cohort studies, which utilize estimates over a prolonged duration, crossing both early and later developmental periods, would further our understanding of biological age in ADHD.

Indexed as

AgingAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityDNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticAdolescentChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleADHDAdolescentBiological ageChildrenEpigenetic clockNeurodevelopment

Identifiers

PMID39855016
PMCPMC12010773

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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.