Low blood lead levels associated with clinically diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and mediated by weak cognitive control.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and low-level lead exposure are high-prevalence conditions among children, and studies of large populations have suggested that these conditions are related. We examine this relationship in children from a community sample exposed to average background levels of lead who have a diagnosis of ADHD that is established by clinical criteria.

Methods: One hundred fifty children ages 8-17 years participated (mean age = 14 years; 53 control subjects, 47 ADHD Predominantly Inattentive type, 50 ADHD-Combined type).