TY - JOUR
T1 - Inattention and Reaction time Variability are Linked to Ventromedial Prefrontal Volume in Adolescents
AU - Albaugh, Matthew D.
AU - Orr, Catherine
AU - Chaarani, Bader
AU - Althoff, Robert R.
AU - Allgaier, Nicholas
AU - D’ Alberto, Nicholas
AU - Hudson, Kelsey
AU - Mackey, Scott
AU - Spechler, Philip A.
AU - Banaschewski, Tobias
AU - Brühl, Rüdiger
AU - Bokde, Arun L.W.
AU - Bromberg, Uli
AU - Büchel, Christian
AU - Cattrell, Anna
AU - Conrod, Patricia J.
AU - Desrivières, Sylvane
AU - Flor, Herta
AU - Frouin, Vincent
AU - Gallinat, Jürgen
AU - Goodman, Robert
AU - Gowland, Penny
AU - Grimmer, Yvonne
AU - Heinz, Andreas
AU - Kappel, Viola
AU - Martinot, Jean-Luc
AU - Paillère Martinot, Marie-Laure
AU - Nees, Frauke
AU - Orfanos, Dimitri Papadopoulos
AU - Penttilä, Jani
AU - Poustka, Luise
AU - Paus, Tomáš
AU - Smolka, Michael N.
AU - Struve, Maren
AU - Walter, Henrik
AU - Whelan, Robert
AU - Schumann, Gunter
AU - Garavan, Hugh
AU - Potter, Alexandra S.
PY - 2017/1/13
Y1 - 2017/1/13
N2 - Background Neuroimaging studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have most commonly reported volumetric abnormalities in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortices. Few studies have examined the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and brain structure in population-based samples. Herein, we investigate the relationship between dimensional measures of ADHD symptomatology, brain structure, and reaction time variability—an index of lapses in attention. We also test for associations between brain structural correlates of ADHD symptomatology and maps of dopaminergic gene expression. Methods Psychopathology and imaging data were available for 1,538 youths. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms were obtained using the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Self-reports of ADHD symptomatology were assessed using the youth version of the SDQ. Reaction time variability was available in a subset of participants. For each measure, whole brain voxel-wise regressions with gray matter volume (GMV) were calculated. Results Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms (DAWBA and SDQ), adolescent self-reports of ADHD symptoms on the SDQ, and reaction time variability were each negatively associated with GMV in an overlapping region of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Maps of DRD1 and DRD2 gene expression were associated with brain structural correlates of ADHD symptomatology. Conclusions This is the first study to reveal relations between vmPFC structure and multi-informant measures of ADHD symptomatology in a large population-based sample of adolescents. Our results indicate that vmPFC structure is a biomarker for ADHD symptomatology. These findings extend previous research implicating the default mode network and dopaminergic dysfunction in ADHD.
AB - Background Neuroimaging studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have most commonly reported volumetric abnormalities in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortices. Few studies have examined the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and brain structure in population-based samples. Herein, we investigate the relationship between dimensional measures of ADHD symptomatology, brain structure, and reaction time variability—an index of lapses in attention. We also test for associations between brain structural correlates of ADHD symptomatology and maps of dopaminergic gene expression. Methods Psychopathology and imaging data were available for 1,538 youths. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms were obtained using the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Self-reports of ADHD symptomatology were assessed using the youth version of the SDQ. Reaction time variability was available in a subset of participants. For each measure, whole brain voxel-wise regressions with gray matter volume (GMV) were calculated. Results Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms (DAWBA and SDQ), adolescent self-reports of ADHD symptoms on the SDQ, and reaction time variability were each negatively associated with GMV in an overlapping region of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Maps of DRD1 and DRD2 gene expression were associated with brain structural correlates of ADHD symptomatology. Conclusions This is the first study to reveal relations between vmPFC structure and multi-informant measures of ADHD symptomatology in a large population-based sample of adolescents. Our results indicate that vmPFC structure is a biomarker for ADHD symptomatology. These findings extend previous research implicating the default mode network and dopaminergic dysfunction in ADHD.
KW - attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
KW - neuroimaging
KW - ventromedial prefrontal cortex
KW - inattention
KW - reaction time variability
KW - multi-informant
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.01.003
M3 - Article
SN - 0006-3223
JO - Biological psychiatry
JF - Biological psychiatry
ER -