Assesment of Etiologic Factors in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Serum Levels of Boron and Selenium

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to determine the role of trace elements; selenium and boron levels in children and adolescents who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Material-Method: The study group consisted of 30 children who were diagnosed as ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria and was compared with 20 healthy children who did not have ADHD. The study and control groups were given to fill out a questionnaire which consists of 30 questions for screening sociodemographic data, age, gender, prenatal, natal and postnatal trauma history, having any toxic-metabolic condition or infection, familial history of ADHD and psychiatric disorders. Turgay s DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S), Conners Teacher Rating Scale, Conners Parent Rating Scale, Kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia-present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were used to diagnose ADHD. Serum selenium and boron levels were measured with the atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Result: All the scores of scales rating the ADHD symptoms of the children in the study group were significantly higher than in the control group. A statistically significant decrease in the serum selenium and boron levels was detected in children with ADHD. Conclusion: One of the important mechanisms in ADHD etiology is brain damage. Deficiency in the level of selenium and boron entering into the structure of the antioxidant enzyme system can lead to ADHD and other psychiatric disorders by causing damage to the brain tissue related to free radicals.