Dyslexia and ADHD share genetic links. Research also found ADHD was more strongly related to an attention and learning difficulties factor than with factors related to neurodevelopmental traits like autism and Tourette syndrome.

Scientists have shed new light on the genetic basis of dyslexia, showing how it overlaps with that of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Dyslexia and ADHD often occur together in people and they share many genes in common – links which make them distinct from developmental and mental health diagnoses such as autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, a study shows.

This study, led by the University of Edinburgh, is the first to explore the genetic links to dyslexia – believed to affect 10 per cent of the population – in the context of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric traits.

The findings could help in tailoring educational, employment and wellbeing support systems for people with dyslexia or ADHD, according to experts.

The findings aid understanding of the biology behind dyslexia – a difficulty with reading and spelling – and ADHD, a condition associated with difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh analysed large public anonymised datasets of genetic data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.

[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02649-8](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02649-8)