Brain Function In Children With Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resting-state FMRI Study

Objective To investigate the characteristics of brain function with in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in resting state from the perspective of functional separation and functional integration using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Methods 30 children with ADHD and 33 normal school children that match age, gender and years of education with ADHD children were experienced resting-state fMRI scans, the approachs including fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) was used to analyze blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI(BOLD-fMRI) data in resting state.Results 1. Compared with the normal controls, the ADHD showed decreased fALFF in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and left precuneus. And the ADHD showed increased fALFF in the bilateral limbic lobe, right brainstem and bilateral cerebellum. 2. As compared to the controls, besides the left cerebelum exhibited increased negative in the ADHD children with left DC-ROI, areas showing increased functional connectivity with the DC-ROIs were observed in DLPFC(dorsallateral prefrontal cortex), VLPFC (ventrolateral prefrontal cortex) and right superior temproral gyrus.Conclusions 1. The results suggest that lower activition of frontal may be the core deficit of executive control with ADHD in resting state, high activation in several brain regions may be related to compensatory effect. 2. Our findings suggest that functional connectivity between the DC and brain regions associated with cognitive function could be abnormal in ADHD participants, which may play an role in the pathology of ADHD.