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Atypical frontal brain activation in ADHD: preschool and elementary school boys and girls
L Baving1, M Laucht, M H Schmidt
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. baving@as200.zi-mannheim.de
Objective:
To investigate patterns of frontal brain activation in unmedicated preschool and school boys and girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Method:
Baseline electroencephalographic activity of 117 children (66 aged 4 years, 51 aged 8 years) was subjected to power spectral analysis, and laterality scores were determined.
Results:
Boys with ADHD exhibited a less right-lateralized frontal activation pattern than normal control boys. Girls with ADHD displayed a more right-lateralized frontal activation pattern than normal control girls. This finding applied to children at both 4 1/2 and 8 years of age. There was no difference between children with ADHD and children with ADHD plus oppositional defiant disorder.
Conclusions:
This pattern of frontal brain activation is in line with magnetic resonance imaging studies of ADHD. It could be demonstrated in children as young as 4 1/2 years, as well as in school-age children. The opposite direction of asymmetry in boys and girls stresses the importance of gender-specific analyses in ADHD.