An ERP source imaging study of the oddball task in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

• Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibit impaired attention to relevant stimuli.
• Reduced amplitude of the P3b event-related potential (ERP) component is a known correlate of these attentional difficulties.
• The specific neural networks responsible for P3b alterations in ADHD remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the source localization of P3b alterations in children diagnosed with ADHD.
• To provide a more detailed understanding of the neural underpinnings of attentional deficits in ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dense-array electroencephalography (EEG) to record event-related potentials (ERPs) during an auditory oddball task.
• Included 36 children with ADHD and 49 typically developing (TD) children.
• Applied the LAURA inverse solution for individual P3b source localization (310-410 ms) and compared findings between groups.

Main Results:

• Children with ADHD demonstrated significantly reduced P3b amplitudes compared to TD children.
• Source localization revealed P3b differences predominantly in left-hemisphere frontopolar (cinguloopercular network, BA10) and temporoparietal regions (ventral attention network, BA39, BA19).
• The magnitude of P3b reduction correlated with the severity of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms in the ADHD group.

Conclusions:

• ADHD is associated with alterations in brain regions involved in both top-down and bottom-up attentional control.
• These neural network dysfunctions likely contribute to the observed P3b amplitude reductions in children with ADHD.
• This study offers novel spatio-temporal insights into the dysfunctional attention processes characterizing ADHD.