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Widespread reductions in cortical thickness following severe early-life deprivation: a neurodevelopmental pathway to

Katie A McLaughlin1, Margaret A Sheridan1, Warren Winter2

  • 1Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Harvard Center on the Developing Child, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Biological Psychiatry
|October 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Early institutionalization in children is linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study found reduced cortical thickness in institutionalized children, explaining higher ADHD symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Early-life psychosocial deprivation, particularly institutional rearing, significantly increases the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
  • The neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying the high prevalence of ADHD in institutionalized children remain largely unknown.
  • This study investigates whether altered cortical thickness and subcortical brain volumes mediate the link between institutionalization and ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if structural brain differences, specifically cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, explain the increased ADHD symptoms in children exposed to institutional rearing.
  • To identify specific brain regions where developmental changes may be associated with ADHD in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, comparing institutionalized children (n=58) with community controls (n=22).
  • Acquired magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from children aged 8-10 years.
  • Assessed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using the Health and Behavior Questionnaire.

Main Results:

  • Institutionalized children showed widespread reductions in cortical thickness across prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions compared to controls.
  • No significant differences in subcortical structure volumes were observed between the groups.
  • Reduced cortical thickness in multiple areas correlated with increased ADHD symptom severity. Specific regions mediated the link between institutionalization and inattention/impulsivity.

Conclusions:

  • Severe early-life deprivation negatively impacts cortical development, leading to reduced thickness in brain regions crucial for attention.
  • These cortical thinning patterns serve as a neurodevelopmental mechanism explaining the elevated ADHD symptoms observed in children with a history of institutional rearing.
  • Findings highlight the long-term neurobiological consequences of early deprivation on brain structure and function related to ADHD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)brain developmentchildhood adversitycortical developmentdeprivationinstitutionalization

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