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Using Brain Activation (nir-HEG/Q-EEG) and Execution Measures (CPTs) in a ADHD Assessment Protocol
Published on: April 1, 2018
The developmental shift in aperiodic activity and its link to the default mode network in attention-deficit
Hui Li1, Gui-Sen Wu1, Yu Zhu1
1Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), https://ror.org/05rzcwg85National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.
Background:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves altered neurodevelopment, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Aperiodic EEG components may reflect neural functions like excitatory/inhibitory balance, but their age-related differences in ADHD and link to default mode network (DMN) dysfunction are unexplored.
Methods:
We included 110 medication-naïve children/adolescents with ADHD and 100 matched typically developing peers aged 6-14 years. Aperiodic parameters (exponent, offset) were derived, and source-localized alpha-band DMN coherence was computed. The sample was stratified into middle childhood (6-9 years) and early adolescence (10-14 years) subgroups to delineate age-dependent patterns.
Results:
ADHD showed globally increased exponent and offset versus controls. Normative age-related decreases were significantly attenuated in ADHD, indicating divergence from typical development. Age-stratified analyses revealed distinct patterns: in middle childhood, increased frontal offset correlated positively with inattention (right hemisphere) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (left hemisphere); in early adolescence, it associated with reduced coherence in two DMN pathways (right mSFG-left hippocampus and left mSFG-right MTG).
Conclusions:
Aperiodic activity differences in ADHD are age-dependent. Younger children exhibit focal, symptom-linked frontal abnormalities, whereas adolescents show pervasive network-level dysregulation. Aperiodic measures may capture age-varying ADHD pathophysiology, informing developmentally targeted biomarkers.
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