(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Genetics may be the reason children who are hyperactive do worse in school.

A new study from Boston University and the Institute of Psychiatry in London looked at about 2,000 7-year-old pairs of twins in the United Kingdom. Parents and teachers rated the children's hyperactive behavior problems by assessing restlessness, distractibility, and attention span. Academic achievement was based on teachers' assessments of English and math skills achieved at the end of the first year of primary school, which is equivalent to first grade in the United States.

Researchers conclude hyperactive behavior and poor academic achievement are linked mainly because of common genetic influences. They say there are two reasons this could happen. One reason is some of the genes that influence hyperactivity could also influence academic achievement. On the other hand, there could be an indirect relationship. For example, behaviors associated with hyperactivity may make it harder for children to learn in the classroom.

Lead author Kimberly J. Saudino, Boston University, was quoted as saying, "Whatever the mechanism responsible, the finding of substantial genetic overlap between hyperactivity and achievement has important implications for research searching for genes associated with the two behaviors."

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Child Development, 2007 May/June issue