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Assessing the relationship between maternal risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and functional
Anastasia Kerr-German1, Stuart F White2,3, Hendrik Santosa4
1Boys Town National Research Hospital, Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning, Omaha, Nebraska68131, USA.
Insights
Early detection of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk in toddlers is crucial. This study found reduced brain connectivity in toddlers with higher ADHD risk, particularly in males, suggesting potential early biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting education and social integration.
- Clinical ADHD diagnosis typically occurs after school age, missing early childhood signs.
- No established brain biomarkers exist for identifying ADHD risk in 2-3-year-olds.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate functional connectivity (FC) associated with ADHD risk in toddlers.
- Identify potential early neural markers for ADHD in young children.
- Examine sex differences in ADHD-related FC patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in 70 children aged 2.5-3.5 years.
- Assessed ADHD risk via maternal ADHD symptoms.
- Analyzed FC in bilateral frontal and parietal cortices during passive video viewing.
Main Results:
- Higher maternal ADHD risk correlated with lower left-sided parieto-frontal FC.
- Significant sex interaction: FC reduction linked to higher risk in males, not females.
- Widespread bilateral parieto-frontal network differences observed in high-risk males.
Conclusions:
- Toddlers at risk for ADHD exhibit altered functional organization in parieto-frontal networks.
- Findings suggest potential neural mechanisms underlying ADHD development.
- Early identification of ADHD risk may be possible through brain connectivity analysis.
Background:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with increased risk for poor educational attainment and compromised social integration. Currently, clinical diagnosis rarely occurs before school-age, despite behavioral signs of ADHD in very early childhood. There is no known brain biomarker for ADHD risk in children ages 2-3 years-old.
Methods:
The current study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) associated with ADHD risk in 70 children aged 2.5 and 3.5 years via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in bilateral frontal and parietal cortices; regions involved in attentional and goal-directed cognition. Children were instructed to passively watch videos for approximately 5 min. Risk for ADHD in each child was assessed via maternal symptoms of ADHD, and brain data was evaluated for FC.
Results:
Higher risk for maternal ADHD was associated with lower FC in a left-sided parieto-frontal network. Further, the interaction between sex and risk for ADHD was significant, where FC reduction in a widespread bilateral parieto-frontal network was associated with higher risk in male, but not female, participants.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest functional organization differences in the parietal-frontal network in toddlers at risk for ADHD; potentially advancing the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the development of ADHD.
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