The study of Tau and phospho Tau protein levels in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND/AIM: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widespread neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood and has negative consequences throughout adult life. The etiology and pathogenesis of ADHD are still unclear. Tau protein is a soluble microtubule-related protein expressed by neurons and localized in the cytoplasm as well as axons. Tau protein provides stability of microtubule in two ways: phosphorylation and isoforms. The excessive phosphorylation of Tau separates the protein from the microtubule, thus making it unstable. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between serum Tau protein and phospho Tau (p-Tau(181)) levels and ADHD occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 26 male children aged 7–12 years with newly diagnosed ADHD, who had previously not used any medication for ADHD, and 26 male healthy children. Serum Tau and p-Tau181 concentrations were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: In patients, the Tau levels were not significantly different from those of the controls; the p-Tau181 levels were significantly higher than those of the controls. CONCLUSION: We concluded that high p-Tau181 might be associated with the progression of ADHD and cognitive changes in ADHD.