Functional connectivity between cognitive control regions is sensitive to familial risk for ADHD

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

• Familial risk for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with altered brain activity in cognitive control networks.
• It remains unclear whether these observed brain activity changes represent primary deficits or are secondary to impaired neural communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of familial ADHD risk on functional connectivity within cognitive control regions.
• To determine if observed connectivity changes are specific to cognitive control networks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized correlational seed analyses to examine temporal covariance between cognitive control and motor regions.
• Studied two independent samples comprising typically developing children, individuals with ADHD, and their unaffected siblings.

Main Results:

• Functional connectivity between cognitive control regions was reduced in individuals with ADHD compared to typically developing controls.
• Unaffected siblings exhibited intermediate levels of connectivity, suggesting a dose-dependent effect of familial risk.
• Connectivity within the motor network did not differ between unaffected siblings and typically developing children, indicating specificity.

Conclusions:

• Functional connectivity within cognitive control networks is sensitive to familial risk for ADHD.
• Altered functional connectivity may serve as a valuable intermediate phenotype for future ADHD research.