Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder among children. Aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) are neurotoxic metals to which children are continuously exposed and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ADHD. The aim of this work was to evaluate Mn and Al levels in the hair of a sample of Egyptian ADHD children in relation to the clinical presentation of this disorder. The study was carried out on 200 children, divided into two main groups: the ADHD group including 100 ADHD children and the control group that comprised 100 apparently healthy children. Hair samples were collected and digested using microwave. Mn and Al levels in hair samples were detected by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP- OES). A statistically significant difference was found between the ADHD and the control groups regarding Mn levels especially among the patients with the hyperactive presentation; meanwhile, there was no significant difference in hair Al levels between the two studied groups. On the other hand, patients with inattentive presentation showed relatively higher levels of Al.
Keywords: Manganese; Aluminum; Hair; ADHD; Egyptian.