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Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Probabilistic diffusion tractography and graph theory analysis reveal abnormal white matter structural connectivity
1Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, and Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing 100191, China.
Insights
Boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show disrupted brain white matter networks. These structural changes in brain connectivity correlate with ADHD symptoms like inattention and hyperactivity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Disorders
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder.
- Behavioral symptoms of ADHD are linked to abnormal functional brain connectivity.
- Underlying structural connectivity alterations in ADHD remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whole-brain white matter (WM) structural connectivity in boys with ADHD.
- To analyze the topological properties of WM networks in ADHD using graph theory.
- To correlate structural network alterations with ADHD symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography were used.
- Whole-brain WM networks were constructed by estimating inter-regional connectivity probability.
- Graph theoretical approaches analyzed network topological properties; nonparametric permutation tests compared groups.
Main Results:
- Both ADHD and control groups exhibited efficient small-world WM network organization.
- ADHD patients displayed decreased global network efficiency and increased shortest path length compared to controls.
- ADHD showed reduced prefrontal-dominant circuitry connectivity and increased orbitofrontal-striatal connectivity, correlating with inattention and hyperactivity, respectively.
Conclusions:
- ADHD is associated with disrupted topological organization of large-scale WM networks.
- Structural disruptions in neuronal circuits contribute to behavioral disturbances in ADHD.
- Findings advance the understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of ADHD.
Abstract:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by core symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that these behavioral disturbances are associated with abnormal functional connectivity among brain regions. However, the alterations in the structural connections that underlie these behavioral and functional deficits remain poorly understood. Here, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography method to examine whole-brain white matter (WM) structural connectivity in 30 drug-naive boys with ADHD and 30 healthy controls. The WM networks of the human brain were constructed by estimating inter-regional connectivity probability. The topological properties of the resultant networks (e.g., small-world and network efficiency) were then analyzed using graph theoretical approaches. Nonparametric permutation tests were applied for between-group comparisons of these graphic metrics. We found that both the ADHD and control groups showed an efficient small-world organization in the whole-brain WM networks, suggesting a balance between structurally segregated and integrated connectivity patterns. However, relative to controls, patients with ADHD exhibited decreased global efficiency and increased shortest path length, with the most pronounced efficiency decreases in the left parietal, frontal, and occipital cortices. Intriguingly, the ADHD group showed decreased structural connectivity in the prefrontal-dominant circuitry and increased connectivity in the orbitofrontal-striatal circuitry, and these changes significantly correlated with the inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, respectively. The present study shows disrupted topological organization of large-scale WM networks in ADHD, extending our understanding of how structural disruptions of neuronal circuits underlie behavioral disturbances in patients with ADHD.
