Antisaccade-related brain activation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – A pilot study. Issue 2 (30th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schwarz, Nicolette F.; Krafft, Cynthia E.; Chi, Lingxi; Weinberger, Abby L.; Schaeffer, David J.; Pierce, Jordan E.; Rodrigue, Amanda L.; Williams, Celestine F.; DiBattisto, Caroline H.; Maria, Bernard L.; Davis, Catherine L.; McDowell, Jennifer E.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 234:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 272
• Page End: 279
• Publication Date: 2015-11-30
• Subjects: ADHD -- Children -- Cognitive control -- Functional magnetic resonance imaging -- FMRI -- Stimulant medication; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; Cerveau -- Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; 616.890754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.10.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-4927

Abstract

Abstract: While antisaccade paradigms invoke circuitry associated with cognitive control and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is a dearth of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigations using antisaccade tasks among children with ADHD. Neural correlates associated with antisaccade performance were examined with fMRI in 11 children with ADHD (10 medicated) matched to 11 typically developing children. Significantly greater brain activation in regions in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus was observed in children with ADHD relative to the control group. This pattern separated the children into their respective groups in a taxonomic manner. Sensitivity analyses probing comorbidity and medication-specific effects showed that results were consistent; however, the caudate nucleus difference was only detectable in the full sample, or in subsets with a more relaxed cluster threshold. Antisaccade performance did not significantly differ between the groups, perhaps as a result of greater brain activation or medication effects in the ADHD group. Thus, antisaccade paradigms may have sensitivity and specificity for the investigation of cognitive control deficits and associated neural correlates in ADHD, and may contribute towards the development of new treatment approaches for children with the disorder. Highlights: There are few studies using antisaccade tasks in children with ADHD. Antisaccade fMRI data are shown (11 children with ADHD, 91% medicated; 11 controls). Children with ADHD had greater brain activation with similar performance to controls. This pattern separated the children into their respective groups in a taxonomic way. Antisaccade tasks may be sensitive to ADHD and useful in pharmacological research.