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. 2014 Nov 3:4:6875.
doi: 10.1038/srep06875.

Microstructural abnormalities in the combined and inattentive subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study

Du Lei  1 , Jun Ma  2 , Xiaoxia Du  3 , Guohua Shen  3 , Xingming Jin  2 , Qiyong Gong  4
Affiliations

Microstructural abnormalities in the combined and inattentive subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study

Du Lei et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that there are specific white matter abnormalities in patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the results of these studies are not consistent, and one of the most important factors that affects the inconsistency of previous studies maybe the ADHD subtype. Different ADHD subtypes may have some overlapping microstructural damage, but they may also have unique microstructural abnormalities. The objective of this study was to investigate the microstructural abnormalities associated with two subtypes of ADHD: combined (ADHD-C) and inattentive (ADHD-I). Twenty-eight children with ADHD-C, 28 children with ADHD-I and 28 healthy children participated in this study. Fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were used to analyze diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data to provide specific information regarding abnormal brain areas. Our results demonstrated that ADHD-I is related to abnormalities in the temporo-occipital areas, while the combined subtype (ADHD-C) is related to abnormalities in the frontal-subcortical circuit, the fronto-limbic pathway, and the temporo-occipital areas. Moreover, an abnormality in the motor circuit may represent the main difference between the ADHD-I and ADHD-C subtypes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Compared with healthy children, children with ADHD-I exhibited significant changes in diffusion parameters. (B) Compared with healthy children, children with ADHD-C exhibited significant changes in diffusion parameters. Abbreviations: MTG, middle temporal gyrus; STG, superior temporal gyrus; SMA, supplementary motor area; MFG, middle frontal gyrus; LING, Lingual gyrus.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Compared with children with ADHD-I, children with ADHD-C exhibited significant changes in diffusion parameters.
Abbreviations: SMA, supplementary motor area; PoCG, postcentral gyrus.
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