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Anterior cingulate cortex and symptom severity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Jesse C Bledsoe1, Margaret Semrud-Clikeman, Steven R Pliszka
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. jesse.bledsoe@seattlechildrens.org
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|May 30, 2013
Summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with thinner right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in children. This brain region
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is linked to prefrontal-striatal-cerebellar network abnormalities.
- Brain-behavioral correlates of ADHD remain equivocal, necessitating further investigation.
- The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a crucial role in attention and executive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain cortical thickness and ADHD symptoms.
- To examine cortical thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in children with ADHD.
- To explore the association between ACC cortical thickness and inhibitory control and ADHD severity.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to analyze brain cortical thickness in children with ADHD and healthy controls.
- Neuropsychological testing, including the Stroop Inhibition test, assessed inhibitory control.
- Parent and teacher behavioral questionnaires quantified ADHD symptom severity.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited significant cortical thinning in the right rostral ACC compared to controls.
- Right rostral ACC thickness was a significant predictor of parent- and teacher-reported ADHD symptom severity.
- Cortical thickness was not significantly related to psychostimulant medication history.
Conclusions:
- Reduced cortical thickness in the right rostral ACC may underlie ADHD symptoms.
- The right anterior attention network, including the right rostral ACC, is implicated in ADHD pathophysiology.
- Findings suggest a link between structural brain changes in the ACC and behavioral manifestations of ADHD.
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