EEG coherence and symptom profiles of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Robert J Barry1, Adam R Clarke, Mihaly Hajos
1Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. robert_barry@uow.edu.au
Insights
Electroencephalography (EEG) coherence differences were found in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), suggesting compensatory brain mechanisms. These anomalies correlated with symptom severity, indicating potential links to brain function in AD/HD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of AD/HD is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare electroencephalography (EEG) coherence between children with and without AD/HD.
- To investigate the relationship between EEG coherence anomalies and AD/HD symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Eyes-closed resting EEG coherence was measured in 40 children with AD/HD and 40 controls.
- Coherence was calculated for interhemispheric and intrahemispheric electrode pairs across multiple frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma).
Main Results:
- The AD/HD group exhibited altered intrahemispheric coherence (increased in delta/theta, decreased in alpha) and reduced laterality.
- Interhemispheric analysis revealed reduced frontal coherence and increased central/parietal/occipital coherence in theta for the AD/HD group.
- Negative correlations were observed between coherence anomalies and AD/HD symptom scores.
Conclusions:
- EEG coherence anomalies in AD/HD may represent compensatory brain functions.
- Anomalous frontal right-hemisphere linkages might compensate for left frontal region dysfunction in AD/HD.
Objective:
We compared EEG coherence in children with and without AD/HD, and sought to relate observed anomalies to AD/HD symptoms.
Methods:
Forty children with AD/HD and 40 age- and sex-matched controls had eyes-closed resting EEG coherence calculated for eight interhemispheric electrode pairs and eight intrahemispheric pairs (four within each hemisphere) in the delta, theta, alpha, beta and "40 Hz" gamma bands.
Results:
At short-medium inter-electrode distances, the AD/HD group had increased intrahemispheric coherence in delta and theta, and reduced (L>R) laterality in delta, alpha, beta and gamma. Over longer inter-electrode distances, the AD/HD group had reduced intrahemispheric coherence in alpha. In interhemispheric comparisons, the AD/HD group had reduced frontal coherence in delta, alpha and gamma, increased temporal theta and reduced temporal alpha coherences, and increased central/parietal/occipital coherence in theta. Smaller left-lateralized coherences in AD/HD correlated negatively with DSM Inattentive and DSM Total scores, and smaller frontal interhemispheric coherence in alpha correlated negatively with DSM Hyperactive/Impulsive score.
Conclusions:
The negative correlations between AD/HD coherence anomalies and symptoms suggest that several anomalies reflect compensatory brain function.
Significance:
Coherence differences in AD/HD may reflect anomalous frontal right-hemisphere linkages that help compensate functional brain anomalies in the left frontal regions in this disorder.
