The mission of the IMpACT, short for "International Multi-centre persistent ADHD CollaboraTion", is to perform and promote high-quality research in ADHD across the lifespan.
This research is aimed at identifying novel genetic variants for adult ADHD and at understanding the mechanisms underlying the effect of these genetic variants on disease risk. IMpACT members share data on their samples as well as biological material, which has resulted in the formation of the largest database for adult ADHD research, including information on over 4000 cases and more than 7000 controls.
The IMpACT is coordinated by Barbara Franke and consists of 7 different sites in several European countries, the United States of America and Brazil. Next to yearly inspirational meetings, the collaboration has resulted in a number of papers. For example, for DAT1, the most studied gene in ADHD, we identified differential haplotype involvement in adult ADHD and childhood ADHD. Also, meta-analyses of the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), and dopamine and serotonin receptor genes in adult ADHD were published.
Each individual IMpACT site also employs specific research initiatives, here in the Netherlands we focus on neuroimaging genetics of ADHD.