Brain abnormalities in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder assessed by multi-delay arterial spin labeling perfusion and voxel-based morphometry

Purpose:
To obtain an understanding of the correlation between hemodynamic differences and morphological changes as well as potential sex differences in children with ADHD using multi-delay pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) imaging and voxel-based morphometry (VBM), especially given that previous findings are limited for girls.
Materials and methods:
We recruited 23 children with ADHD (mean age, 8.3 years; 19 boys; 4 girls) and 24 children without ADHD (mean age, 9.1 years; 13 boys; 11 girls) as controls. All participants underwent 3D multi-delay pCASL and T1-weighted imaging. The voxel-based statistical parameter mapping (SPM) method was used for group-wise comparisons.
Results:
Compared with controls, children with ADHD exhibited decreased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and gray matter volume (GMV) in the left middle frontal gyrus and left postcentral gyrus. Analysis by sex revealed reduced rCBF and GMV in the left lingual gyrus and left inferior occipital gyrus in boys with ADHD versus controls and increased rCBF and GMV in the left superior frontal gyrus in girls with ADHD.
Conclusion:
Although our results are preliminary because of small sample sizes, several brain regions exhibit changes in both cerebral perfusion and GMV in the same direction in patients with ADHD, with boys with ADHD showing decreased activity and girls with ADHD displaying increased activity in the fronto-parietal cortices.

内容要旨・審査要旨・論文本文の公開
本論文は，著者Oyundari Gonchigsurenの学位論文として提出され，学位審査・授与の対象となっている。
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-021-01239-w