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A prior infection with streptococcal bacteria may contribute to
the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The presence of antibodies suggests that at some point in the past,
a person was exposed to streptococcal bacteria, the type of bacteria
that cause "strep throat." Participants with a diagnosis
of ADHD had higher blood levels of two types of anti-streptococcal
antibodies than other people in the study. The researchers did not
find an association between the antibodies and either chronic tic
disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The results also show an association between prior streptococcal
infection and enlargement of the basal ganglia, small structures
inside the brain that help to regulate thought and behavior. Peterson
explained that streptococcal infection may set up an immune response
that injures the basal ganglia in susceptible people, causing these
structures to malfunction.
Archives of General Psychiatry
April 2000;57:364-372
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