Brain imaging of the neural systems affected in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Evaluation of: Schneider MF, Krick CM, Retz W et al. Impairment of fronto-striatal and parietal cerebral networks correlates with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) psychopathology in adults – a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Psychiatry Res. 183, 75–84 (2010).

A plethora of studies utilizing either anatomical or functional brain imaging have revealed differences between children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and neurological normal individuals. However, relatively little research has examined patterns of brain activity in adults with ADHD. Such research is of interest because it can elucidate which aspects of the disorder are consistently observed across the lifespan. This article assesses the findings of a recently published study, which not only reported altered brain function in adults with ADHD during performance of an attentionally demanding response-inhibition task, but which also linked such alterations to the severity of ADHD symptomatology. These findings are discussed in relation to the growing number of studies examining alterations of neural function in adults with ADHD, as well as considerations of what information needs to be provided by neuroimaging before it can be successfully integrated into clinical practice.

Keywords::

• ADHD
• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• hyperactivity
• impulsivity
• inattention
• neuroimaging
• response inhibition
• symptomatology

Acknowledgements

The author would like to aknowledge Gregory Burgess, Brendan Depue, Bruce Pennington and Erik Willcutt for helpful discussion on issues raised in this manuscript, and Brendan Depue for thoughtful comments on the manuscript itself.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The production of this manuscript was supported by NIMH grant R01 070037. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.