White Matter Microstructure in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Tractography Study in 654 Individuals
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by age-inappropriate levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. ADHD has been related to differences in white matter (WM) microstructure. However, much remains unclear regarding the nature of these WM differences and which clinical aspects of ADHD they reflect. We systematically investigated whether fractional anisotropy (FA) is associated with current and/or lifetime categorical diagnosis, impairment in daily life, and continuous ADHD symptom measures. METHODS: Diffusion-weighted imaging data were obtained from 654 participants (322 unaffected, 258 affected, 74 subthreshold; 7-29 years of age). We applied automated global probabilistic tractography on 18 major WM pathways. Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to examine associations of clinical measures with overall brain and tract-specific FA. RESULTS: = .045). There were no significant effects for other tracts. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time global probabilistic tractography has been applied to an ADHD dataset of this size. We found no evidence for altered FA in association with ADHD diagnosis. Our findings indicate that associations of FA with ADHD are not uniformly distributed across WM tracts. Continuous symptom measures of ADHD may be more sensitive to FA than diagnostic categories. The right cingulum angular bundle in particular may play a role in symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Oxford, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
Funders: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, UCB, ZonMw, Radboud Universiteit, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Accare, Shire, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health
Awards: NeuroLabNL: Optimale condities voor leren en veiligheid van jongeren, G173479939, G2009128790, G3135640655, G3431959885, G352484845, G361374152, G3654821277, G408622963, G4123107034, G4662935021, G5312579756, International Multi-Center ADHD Genetics Project, G7333061341, G7436725313, G7762137655, G8306123767, G8421537472, G851105359, G8544633120, Direct investigation of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in autism spectrum disorder, G925210369
OpenAlex ID: W3046529576