Impaired segregation of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder related pattern in children

Xing-Ke Wang; Chen Yang; Wen-Qiang Dong; Qiu-Rong Zhang; Sheng-Zhi Ma; Yu-Feng Zang; Li-Xia Yuan

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.018

Impaired segregation of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder related pattern in children

J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Feb:170:111-121. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.018. Epub 2023 Dec 14.

Authors

Xing-Ke Wang¹, Chen Yang², Wen-Qiang Dong², Qiu-Rong Zhang², Sheng-Zhi Ma², Yu-Feng Zang³, Li-Xia Yuan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
² Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; TMS Center, Deqing Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Deqing, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: yuanlixia2022@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 38134720
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.018

Abstract

Background: Inattention is a key characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specific brain abnormalities associated with this symptom form a discernible pattern related with ADHD in children (i.e., ADHD related pattern) in our earlier research. The developmental processes of segregation and integration may be crucial to ADHD. However, how brains reconfigure these processes of the ADHD related pattern in different subtypes of ADHD and across sexes remain unclear.

Methods: Nested-spectral partition method was applied to identify effects of subtype and sex on segregation and integration of the ADHD related pattern, using 145 ADHD patients and 135 typically developing controls (TDC) aged 7-14. Relationships between the measures and inattention symptoms were also investigated.

Results: Children with ADHD exhibited lower segregation of the ADHD related pattern (p = 1.17 × 10^-8) than TDCs. Only the main effect of subtype was significant (p = 1.14 × 10^-5). Both ADHD-C (p = 2.16 × 10^-6) and ADHD-I (p = 2.87 × 10^-6) patients had lower segregation components relative to the TDC. Moreover, segregation components were negatively correlated with inattention scores.

Conclusions: This study identified impaired segregation in the ADHD related pattern of children with ADHD and found shared neural bases among different subtypes and sexes.

Keywords: ADHD related pattern; Attention; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); Integration; Segregation.

MeSH terms

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / diagnosis
Brain
Brain Mapping / methods
Child
Cognition
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods