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Background

Identifying genetic variants contributing to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complicated by the involvement of numerous common genetic variants with small effects, interacting with each other as well as with environmental factors, such as stress exposure. Random forest regression is well-suited to explore this complexity, as it allows for the analysis of many predictors simultaneously, taking into account any higher-order interactions among them.

Methods

Using random forest regression, we predicted ADHD severity, measured by Conners’ Parent Rating Scales, from 686 adolescents and young adults (including 281 diagnosed with ADHD). The analysis included 17,374 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 29 genes previously linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, together with information on exposure to 24 individual long-term difficulties or stressful life …