Dynamic Functional Connectivity Reveals Abnormal Variability in the Amygdala Subregions of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Yue Yang; Binrang Yang; Linlin Zhang; Gang Peng; Diangang Fang

doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.648143

Dynamic Functional Connectivity Reveals Abnormal Variability in the Amygdala Subregions of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Front Neurosci. 2021 Sep 29:15:648143. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.648143. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yue Yang¹, Binrang Yang¹, Linlin Zhang¹, Gang Peng¹, Diangang Fang¹

Affiliation

¹ Children's Healthcare & Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates whether the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of the amygdala subregions is altered in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: The dFC of the amygdala subregions was systematically calculated using a sliding time window method, for 75 children with ADHD and 20 healthy control (HC) children. Results: Compared with the HC group, the right superficial amygdala exhibited significantly higher dFC with the right prefrontal cortex, the left precuneus, and the left post-central gyrus for children in the ADHD group. The dFC of the amygdala subregions showed a negative association with the cognitive functions of children in the ADHD group. Conclusion: Functional connectivity of the amygdala subregions is more unstable among children with ADHD. In demonstrating an association between the stability of functional connectivity of the amygdala and cognitive functions, this study may contribute by providing a new direction for investigating the internal mechanism of ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; amygdala; anxiety; dynamic functional connectivity; rs-fMRI.