Differences in brain networks of children with ADHD: Whole‐brain analysis of resting‐state fMRI

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate changes of functional connectivity (FC) in resting state networks (RSNs) in medication‐naive children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty children with a diagnosis of ADHD (11.8 ± 2.29 years; 16 boys) and 20 age‐matched typically developing (TD) children (13 ± 1.78 years; 10 boys) were included. It was found that brain FC differences in children with ADHD are not only in the well known RSNs such as default mode, visual, sensory motor, attentional, frontal, central executive, and frontal networks but also involve interaction among whole brain functional networks. In addition, basal ganglia and cerebellum networks which later gained importance were examined in this study. All RSNs has been shown significant differences in special regions which belongs related RSN. The highest positive (HPC) and negative (HNC) correlation were calculated between 14 independent components including 11 different RSNs. We observed different FC changes (decreased/increased) according to the RSNs between ADHD and control children. The HPC was defined between the visual and cerebellum network in ADHD children and between the dorsal attentional network and sensory motor network in TD children. Also, the HNC was detected between the visual and basal ganglia network in both groups. Investigating intra and inter network FC could provide a framework to better understand the neural basis that underlies core symptom dimensions in ADHD.