Member-only story
What Connects Connective Tissue to ADHD?
Neurodivergent individuals are far more likely to have hyper-mobile joints.
We often think of connective tissue as just the background material that holds things together — the duct tape and bent coat-hangers of the body. Doctors have long known that people with particularly loose or flexible connective tissue were more at risk for joint and muscle injuries and chronic pain. But we’ve become increasingly aware that connective tissue abnormalities are associated with numerous other health issues, including, surprisingly, mental health conditions.
People with ADHD are substantially more likely than the general population to have hyper-mobility and connective tissue diseases.
Many of the leading explanations frame the connective-tissue-mental-health connection as ways in which connective tissue abnormalities lead to ailments or dysfunction that can stress the brain, leading to depression or anxiety, or that challenge the prefrontal cortex, resulting in symptoms that resemble ADHD. But it turns out that connective tissue in the brain itself might directly contribute to ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions.
Connecting the dots
Too often our medical system — and research dollars — focus on illness rather than on…
