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Dimensional association between ADHD traits and gray matter volume in young adults: A voxel-based morphometry study
Haruka Asaoka1, Michio Takahashi2, Kentaro Oba2
1Department of Aging Research and Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer Tohoku University Sendai Japan.
PCN Reports : Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
|June 29, 2026
Summary
This study found that higher levels of hyperactivity/restlessness traits in healthy young adults are associated with subtle gray matter volume differences in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These findings support a dimensional view of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder traits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Previous studies on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) primarily used clinically diagnosed samples.
- Neuroanatomical correlates of ADHD traits in healthy young adults are not well understood.
- Generalizability of findings from clinical samples to subclinical trait variability is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine whole-brain associations between gray matter volume (GMV) and ADHD traits in healthy young adults.
- To investigate the relationship between the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) Hyperactivity/Restlessness subscale and GMV.
- To explore associations with other CAARS scales.
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze structural MRI data from 534 healthy young adults (aged 18-27).
- Gray matter volume (GMV) was assessed using voxelwise multiple-regression analyses.
- Statistical significance was determined using cluster-level family-wise error (FWE)-corrected p < 0.05.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between GMV in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and Hyperactivity/Restlessness scores (p=0.017).
- No significant associations were observed for other CAARS subscales.
- No significant sex-stratified effects were detected.
Conclusions:
- Interindividual differences in Hyperactivity/Restlessness traits correlate with subtle GMV variations in the right DLPFC in healthy young adults.
- Findings support a dimensional perspective on ADHD-related traits.
- Further multimodal and longitudinal studies are needed to clarify developmental and mechanistic interpretations.
