Age-related connectivity differences between attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder patients and typically...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children, adolescents, and adults.
• ADHD symptoms are linked to complex brain network interactions that are not fully understood.
• Age-related brain network alterations in ADHD remain an underexplored area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related differences in brain networks between individuals with ADHD and typically developing (TD) individuals.
• To identify specific brain regions and network properties associated with ADHD across different age groups.
• To explore the relationship between cognitive function and age-related brain network changes in ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 184 participants (children, adolescents, adults) with and without ADHD.
• Brainnetome Atlas was utilized for network node definition.
• Degree centrality analysis was performed to compare brain network differences between ADHD and TD groups across age strata.

Main Results:

• Significant interaction effects between ADHD status and age were observed in the left middle temporal gyrus (P < 0.001).
• Additional regions, including the left inferior frontal gyrus and left insular gyrus, showed significant differences at a relaxed threshold (P < 0.05).
• Many identified regions are associated with critical cognitive functions.

Conclusions:

• Aberrant development in cognitive brain regions is associated with age-related brain network changes in ADHD.
• These findings enhance the understanding of how brain network alterations contribute to ADHD symptoms across the lifespan.
• The study highlights the importance of considering age in the neurobiological underpinnings of ADHD.