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The ipsilateral silent period in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Marjorie A Garvey1, Christopher A Barker, John J Bartko
1Pediatric Movement Disorders Unit, Human Motor Control Section, MNB, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. marjorie.garvey@medstar.net
Insights
Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show delayed maturation of interhemispheric communication, impacting neuromotor skills. This study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess ipsilateral silent period (iSP) development in boys with ADHD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Interhemispheric interactions, measured by the ipsilateral silent period (iSP), mature alongside fine motor skills in typically developing children.
- Neuromotor maturation is often abnormal in boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- This study investigated potential abnormalities in iSP maturation within this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the maturation of transcallosal inhibition, specifically the ipsilateral silent period (iSP), in boys with ADHD.
- To compare iSP maturation between boys with ADHD and typically developing controls using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Main Methods:
- Recorded surface electromyographic activity from the right first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle.
- Delivered focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the ipsilateral motor cortex during background muscle activation.
- Assessed iSP latency and its relationship with age in both ADHD and control groups.
Main Results:
- Boys with ADHD exhibited significantly slower finger maturation compared to controls.
- In typically developing boys, iSP latency decreased with age, indicating maturation.
- This age-related decrease in iSP latency was not observed in boys with ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a complex link between aberrant interhemispheric interactions, indicated by iSP latency, and delayed neuromotor skill development in boys with ADHD.
- These results offer preliminary physiological evidence for delayed or abnormal development of interhemispheric communication in ADHD.
Objective:
Characterize maturation of transcallosal inhibition (ipsilateral silent period [iSP]) in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Background:
Maturation of the iSP is related to acquisition of fine motor skills in typically developing children suggesting that dexterous fine motor skills depend upon mature interhemispheric interactions. Since neuromotor maturation is abnormal in boys with ADHD we hypothesized that iSP maturation in these children would be abnormal. We studied iSP maturation in 12 boys with ADHD and 12 age-matched, typically developing boys, 7-13 years of age.
Methods:
Surface electromyographic activity was recorded from right first dorsal interosseus (FDI). During background activation, focal TMS was delivered at maximal stimulator output over the ipsilateral motor cortex.
Results:
Maturation of finger speed in boys with ADHD was significantly slower than that in the control group. The iSP latency decreased with age in the control group but not in the ADHD group.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest the presence of a complex relationship between abnormalities of certain interhemispheric interactions (as represented by iSP latency) and delayed maturation of neuromotor skills in boys with ADHD.
Significance:
These data provide preliminary physiologic evidence supporting delayed or abnormal development of interhemispheric interactions in boys with ADHD.
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