Attention deficit disorder a boon for Kenyan nomads: study

CHICAGO (AFP) — A genetic propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may actually help people thrive in nomadic environments, according to a study of Kenyan tribesmen published Tuesday.

US researchers found that a gene associated with the disorder was linked to better health and body weight in a group of nomadic cattle herders, but could cause malnourishment in their cousins who have recently settled and begun to grow crops.

"Our findings suggest that some of the variety of personalities we see in people is evolutionarily helpful or detrimental, depending on the context," said lead author Dan Eisenberg, an anthropology graduate at Northwestern University.

"This insight might allow us to begin to view ADHD as not just a disease but something with adaptive components."

The dopamine receptor gene ...