Aberrant gray matter volumes and functional connectivity in adolescent patients with ADHD

Abstract

Background: Altered gray matter (GM) volumes and functional connectivity (FC) happens in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and the intelligence quotient (IQ) of ADHD patients is generally lower than healthy subjects, while few studies have focused on the association among the three.

Purpose: To investigate the abnormal changes of GM volumes and FC in ADHD patients compared with typically-developing control (TD-C), as well as the association between the changes and IQ.

Study type: Case control.

Population: 36 ADHD patients and 36 TD-C, aged 8-17.

Field strength/sequence: 3.0T/single shot echo planar imaging (EPI).

Assessment: Preprocessing of fMRI data and seed-based FC calculation using DPABI4.0, and VBM was performed by CAT12.

Statistical tests: Comparison between groups of smoothed GM volumes was performed using two-sample t-test within SPM 12, age and total intracranial volume (TIV) were returned as covariates. Comparison between groups of FCs was performed using a two-sample t-test within RESTplus; age was returned as a covariate. False discovery rate (FDR)-corrected and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Compared with TD-C, reduced GM volumes occurred in the left superior frontal gyrus (t = -3.61, P < 0.001), right middle frontal gyrus (t = -3.97, P < 0.001), left middle cingulum (t = -3.93, P < 0.001), and left cuneus (t = -4.42, P < 0.001). Decreased FC was found between the left precuneus and left middle cingulum (t = -5.86, P < 0.001), left middle temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus (t = -5.67, P < 0.001), as well as left medial superior frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus (t = -6.73, P < 0.001).

Data conclusion: The results confirmed that FCs between the regions with declined GM volumes and others were altered in ADHD patients. We speculated that abnormal changes of GM volume and FC maybe used as an imaging metric of ADHD.

Level of evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:719-726.

Keywords: ADHD; VBM; fMRI; functional connectivity; sMRI.