Insights into structural deviations in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbidities using big...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder frequently co-occurring with other conditions like depression, Tourette syndrome (TS), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The comorbidity of ADHD with these disorders complicates screening, diagnosis, and management.
• Understanding neurodevelopmental variations in ADHD and its comorbidities is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To use big data-derived brain charts as an objective standard for assessing brain development in children with ADHD.
• To compare regional brain development differences between children with pure ADHD and those with comorbidities (depression, TS, ASD).
• To explore correlations between specific structural brain deviations and ADHD symptom severity.

Main Methods:

• A large, population-based cross-sectional study involving 459 children with ADHD.
• Utilized big data-derived brain charts for objective brain development assessment.
• Investigated regional brain development disparities and associations between structural deviations and clinical symptoms through normative brain chart modeling.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in cortical thickness were observed in specific brain regions (left cuneus gyrus, medial occipito-temporal gyrus).
• The ADHD + TS group exhibited the most extreme brain region deviations.
• Structural deviations, particularly in the left middle frontal sulcus, showed significant differences between ADHD + TS and ADHD + Depression groups, and correlated negatively with inattention and oppositional defiant disorder severity.

Conclusions:

• Brain charts effectively highlight structural variations in ADHD and comorbid conditions.
• These variations aid in predicting the severity of inattention symptoms.
• The findings enhance understanding of ADHD neurobiology, supporting personalized diagnostics and therapies.