Increased Rate of Familial Mediterranean Fever in Children With ADHD: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Objective: There is growing evidence of involvement of inflammatory mechanisms in ADHD. Previous studies found significantly higher rates of ADHD among children with FMF. The present study examined the rate of exposure to FMF in children with a later (within a 5-year period) diagnosis of ADHD compared to non-ADHD children.
Methods: A population-based case-control study of all children (<18 years) registered in Leumit Health Services during 01.01.2006 to 06.30.2021. All cases met ICD-9/10 criteria for ADHD. They were matched by age, sex, and socioeconomic status on a 1:2 rate to randomly selected non-ADHD controls.
Results: Fifty-six (0.30%) children with ADHD ( N  = 18,756) were previously diagnosed with FMF compared to 65 of 37,512 controls (0.17%). A significant, independent association existed between a preceding FMF diagnosis and a later ADHD diagnosis [OR = 1.72 (95% CI 1.18-2.51); p  = .003].
Conclusions: The mechanisms underlying the association w between FMF and later ADHD diagnosis merit further elucidation.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Over the past 3 years Dr. Eugene Merzon received support for continuing medical education programs or advisory boards meetings sponsored by: SK-Pharma, Medison Israel, Teva Israel, AstraZeneca Israel, and Merk Israel. Over the past 3 years Dr. Ariel Israel has No disclosure. Dr. Beth Krone: Over the past 3 years, Dr. Krone has received financial compensation as a scientific consultant to HIPPO T & C and MaxisHealth, makers of digital health technologies for ADHD. Dr. Krone also provides clinical review for Signant Health, a company that provides rater training for clinical trials. Over the past 3 years Ms. Shani Medvejer has no disclosure. Over the past 3 years Ms. . Shira Cohen has no disclosure. Over the past 3 years Dr. Ilan Green has no disclosure. Over the past 3 years Dr. Avivit Golan-Cohen has no disclosure. Over the past 3 years Prof. Shlomo Vinker has no disclosure. Over the past 3 years Prof. Stephen V. Faraone received income, travel expenses, research support, continuing medical education programs, or advisory boards, sponsored by: Aardvark, Aardwolf, Akili, Atentiv, Corium, Genomind, Ironshore, Medice, Noven, Otsuka, Sandoz, Sky Therapeutics, Supernus, Tris, and Vallon. In previous years, he received support from: Alcobra, Arbor, Aveksham, Axsome, CogCubed, Eli Lilly, Enzymotec, Impact, Janssen, KemPharm, Lundbeck/Takeda, Shire/Takeda, McNeil, NeuroLifeSciences, Neurovance, Novartis, Pfizer, Rhodes, Shire, and Sunovion. With his institution, he has US patent US20130217707 A1 for the use of sodium-hydrogen exchange inhibitors in the treatment of ADHD. He also receives royalties from books published by Guilford Press: Straight Talk about Your Child’s Mental Health; Oxford University Press: Schizophrenia: The Facts; and Elsevier: ADHD: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions. In addition, he is the program director of www.adhdinadults.com and www.ADHDEvidence.org Dr. Faraone is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 965381; NIMH grants U01AR076092-01A1, 1R21MH1264940, R01MH116037, and 1R01NS128535—01; Oregon Health and Science University. Over the past 3 years, Prof. Jeff Newcorn has received financial compensation as a consultant, advisory board member, and lecturer from Shire Pharmaceuticals (the study sponsor and manufacturer of the study drug Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine)). Dr. Newcorn also receives financial compensation from other companies which either develop or assess medicines used for the treatment of ADHD. Over the past 3 years Prof. Shai Ashkenazi has no disclosure relevant to this manuscript. Over the past 3 years Prof Abraham Weizman declares honoraria for educational lectures from the following pharmaceutical companies: Pfizer, Novartis, Janssen, Lundbeck, Teva, Unipharm, Dexcel, and Medison. None of these are relevant to the submitted manuscript. Over the past 3 years, Prof. Iris Manor has received financial compensation as a consultant, advisory board member, and lecturer from Madison Ltd. (the distributor of the study drug Vyvance (Lisdexamfetamine) in Israel) and Teva Israel (the manufacturer and the distributor in Israel of the study drug attent (Mixed Amphetamine Salts), and attent XR (Mixed Amphetamine Salts—Extended Release). She was a lecturer for Takeda Ltd. Dr. Manor is a consultant to the startup companies Peri and Vizo, which either develop or assess medicines used to treat ADHD. She also served/serves as a PI (as a part of her position in Geha MHC) in several startups: Nuance Ltd and Mindtension Ltd.