Altered brain white matter microstructural asymmetry in children with ADHD

Zhao-Min Wu; Peng Wang; Li Yang; Lu Liu; Li Sun; Li An; Qing-Jiu Cao; Raymond C K Chan; Bin-Rang Yang; Yu-Feng Wang

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112817

Altered brain white matter microstructural asymmetry in children with ADHD

Psychiatry Res. 2020 Jan 28:285:112817. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112817. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhao-Min Wu¹, Peng Wang², Li Yang², Lu Liu², Li Sun², Li An², Qing-Jiu Cao², Raymond C K Chan³, Bin-Rang Yang⁴, Yu-Feng Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: zhaomin.wu@foxmail.com.
² Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
³ Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁴ Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
⁵ Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: wangyf@bjmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32035376
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112817

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to examine brain white matter integrity in children with ADHD.

Methods: In a cohort of children with ADHD (n = 83) and healthy controls (n = 122), we used tract-based spatial statistics on Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data to obtain the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in 40 bilateral regions of interest (ROIs). Lateralization Index (LI) was calculated. The difference in LI between groups and correlations between the LI of each ROI and ADHD symptom scores as well as cognitive function were examined.

Results: Children with ADHD had significantly greater LI at the posterior thalamic radiation (PTR) compared with healthy controls (mean LI in ADHD = 0.0096; in Control = 0.0044, p = 0.0143), and LI of the external capsule (EC) was significantly correlated with inattention symptoms in both groups (β = -0.00059, p = 0.0181). LI of the PTR was significantly correlated with inhibitory function in healthy controls (β = -0.0008510, p = 0.0248), but not in children with ADHD.

Conclusion: We found increased brain white matter asymmetry (leftward) in children with ADHD compared with healthy controls at the posterior thalamic radiation. Leftward lateralization of FA values at the external capsule was negatively correlated with ADHD symptoms in both children with ADHD and healthy controls.

Keywords: ADHD; Asymmetry; White matter.