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ASD and ADHD: Divergent activating patterns of prefrontal cortex in executive function tasks?

Yin Li1, Shuai Ma1, Xin Zhang1

  • 1Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.

Journal of Psychiatric Research
|February 24, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) reveals distinct prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing peers during executive function tasks.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit executive function (EF) deficits.
  • Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is increasingly utilized to assess prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during cognitive tasks in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding PFC activation patterns in ASD and ADHD is crucial for characterizing neurodevelopmental differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize findings from fNIRS studies examining PFC activation in children with ASD and ADHD during EF tasks.
  • To compare PFC activation patterns between children with ASD, children with ADHD, and typically developing (TD) controls.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, identifying 630 articles.
  • Eleven studies met eligibility criteria, including participants aged 6-16 diagnosed with ASD or ADHD (DSM-4/5), utilizing fNIRS for EF tasks with TD controls.
  • Quantitative analysis focused on between-group comparisons of PFC activation.

Main Results:

  • Children with ASD and ADHD demonstrated opposing prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation patterns compared to typically developing (TD) children.
  • These divergent activation patterns were observed specifically during n-back tasks, a measure of working memory and executive function.
  • The findings highlight task-specific alterations in PFC function associated with ASD and ADHD in young individuals.

Conclusions:

  • fNIRS can differentiate PFC activation profiles between ASD, ADHD, and TD children during executive function tasks.
  • The study identified contrasting PFC activation patterns in ASD and ADHD, suggesting distinct neurobiological underpinnings for their executive function deficits.
  • Further research is warranted to explore these task-specific PFC activation differences and their implications for intervention strategies.

Keywords:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)Executive function (EF)Functional near-infrared Spectroscopy(fNIRS)Prefrontal cortex (PFC)

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