Altered single‐subject gray matter structural networks in drug‐naïve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children

• Published in: Human brain mapping Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 1256 - 1264
• Main Authors: Chen, Ying, Lei, Du, Cao, Hengyi, Niu, Running, Chen, Fuqin, Chen, Lizhou, Zhou, Jinbo, Hu, Xinyu, Huang, Xiaoqi, Guo, Lanting, Sweeney, John A., Gong, Qiyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Adolescent; Amygdala; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnostic imaging; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - pathology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Automation; Brain; Brain architecture; Child; Children; Circuits; Clustering; Cognitive ability; cognitive deficits; Comorbidity; Female; Flexibility; Frontal gyrus; Globus pallidus; Graph theory; Gray Matter - diagnostic imaging; Gray Matter - pathology; gray matter networks; Humans; Impulsive behavior; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Morphology; Nerve Net - diagnostic imaging; Nerve Net - pathology; Network topologies; Neuroimaging; Permutations; Precentral gyrus; psychoradiology; Software; Sparsity; Substantia grisea; symptom severity; Temporal gyrus; China; cognitive deficits; symptom severity; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; gray matter networks; psychoradiology
• ISSN: 1065-9471; 1097-0193; 1097-0193
• DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25718

Altered topological organization of brain structural covariance networks has been observed in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, results have been inconsistent, potentially related to confounding medication effects. In addition, since structural networks are traditionally constructed at the group level, variabilities in individual structural features remain to be well characterized. Structural brain imaging with MRI was performed on 84 drug‐naïve children with ADHD and 83 age‐matched healthy controls. Single‐subject gray matter (GM) networks were obtained based on areal similarities of GM, and network topological properties were analyzed using graph theory. Group differences in each topological metric were compared using nonparametric permutation testing. Compared with healthy subjects, GM networks in ADHD patients demonstrated significantly altered topological characteristics, including higher global and local efficiency and clustering coefficient, and shorter path length. In addition, ADHD patients exhibited abnormal centrality in corticostriatal circuitry including the superior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal gyrus, medial superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and pallidum (all p < .05, false discovery rate [FDR] corrected). Altered global and nodal topological efficiencies were associated with the severity of hyperactivity symptoms and the performance on the Stroop and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test tests (all p < .05, FDR corrected). ADHD combined and inattention subtypes were differentiated by nodal attributes of amygdala (p < .05, FDR corrected). Alterations in GM network topologies were observed in drug‐naïve ADHD patients, in particular in frontostriatal loops and amygdala. These alterations may contribute to impaired cognitive functioning and impulsive behavior in ADHD. Alterations in gray matter network topologies were observed in drug‐naïve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients, in particular in frontostriatal loops and amygdala. These alterations may contribute to impaired cognitive functioning and impulsive behavior in ADHD.