Atypical gamma functional connectivity pattern during light sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Riyo Ueda1, Hiroshige Takeichi2, Yoshimi Kaga2
1Department of Developmental Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Frontier Medicine and Pharmacy, Graduate School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Insights
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show lower gamma-band phase lag index (PLI) in EEG compared to typically developing children. This finding may aid in ADHD diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder.
- Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of ADHD is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
- Electroencephalograms (EEGs) offer insights into brain activity and functional connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neurobiological differences in functional connectivity using EEG in children with ADHD versus typically developing children (TDC).
- To explore the diagnostic potential of EEG-based functional connectivity measures for ADHD.
Main Methods:
- 31 children with ADHD and 17 TDC underwent 19-channel EEGs during light sleep.
- Functional connectivity was assessed using phase lag index (PLI) and coherence.
- Continuous performance tests (CPTs) and ADHD/autism questionnaires were administered.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited significantly lower central-to-posterior gamma PLI compared to TDC.
- No significant differences were found in other PLI frequency bands or all coherence frequency bands.
- Lower gamma PLIs in motor and occipital regions correlated with higher hyperactivity scores and faster reaction times on CPT.
Conclusions:
- Gamma-band PLI, particularly in motor and occipital regions, shows potential as a diagnostic biomarker for ADHD, outperforming coherence measures.
- Reduced gamma PLI is associated with more severe ADHD symptoms.
- Further prospective studies are needed to validate gamma-band PLI as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for ADHD.
Introduction:
We examined functional connectivity analyses in electroencephalograms (EEGs) of patients with attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) and in those of typically developing children (TDC) to uncover neurobiological abnormalities.
Methodology:
We enrolled 31 children with ADHD (mean age 11.1 years; 23 boys) and 17 sex-, age-, and intelligence-matched TDC to undergo 19-channel EEGs during light sleep. We estimated functional connectivity using the phase lag index (PLI) and coherence measurements that capture the synchronization of EEG signals and graphed metrics with GRETNA. We also performed continuous performance tests (CPTs) on the children and obtained answered questionnaires on ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
Results:
The central-to-posterior gamma PLI was lower in children with ADHD than that in TDC. The other PLI frequency bands and all coherence frequency bands were not statistically different between both groups. Individuals with high hyperactivity scores on questionnaires and low reaction times (SDs) on CPT had low motor and occipital pairs of gamma PLIs. Graph metrics showed no differences between the groups.
Conclusions:
The difference in averaged gamma PLI (especially with motor and occipital pairs) between groups was more suitable for diagnosis than the averaged coherence. Lower averaged gamma PLIs reflected more severe ADHD symptoms. A prospective study with more controlled conditions is warranted to determine if gamma-band PLI can be used as an auxiliary tool for ADHD diagnosis.
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