Research article summary (published 30 May 2006):

Task-specific hypoactivation in prefrontal and temporoparietal brain regions during motor inhibition and task switching in medication-naive children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: A relatively small number of functional imaging studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have shown abnormal prefrontal and striatal brain activation during tasks of motor response inhibition. However, the potential confound of previous medication exposure has not yet been addressed, and no functional imaging study exists to date on medication-naive children and adolescents with ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the neural substrates of a range of motor and cognitive inhibitory functions in a relatively large group of children and adolescents with ADHD who had never previously been exposed to medication. METHOD: Nineteen boys with ADHD and 27 healthy age- and IQ-matched boys underwent functional MRI to compare brain activation during performance of tasks that assessed motor response inhibition (go/no go task), cognitive interference inhibition (motor Stroop task), and cognitive flexibility (switch task). RESULTS: Boys with ADHD showed decreased activation in the left rostral mesial frontal cortex during the go/no go task and decreased activation in the bilateral prefrontal and temporal lobes and right parietal lobe during the switch task. No significant group differences were observed during motor Stroop task performance. CONCLUSION: Abnormal brain activation was observed in medication-naive children and adolescents with ADHD during tasks involving motor inhibition and task switching, suggesting that hypoactivation in this patient group is unrelated to long-term stimulant exposure. Furthermore, functional abnormalities are task-specific and extend from frontostriatal to parietal and temporal cortices.

Author information

Author/s: Smith, Anna B (AB); Taylor, Eric (E); Brammer, Mick (M); Toone, Brian (B); Rubia, Katya (K);

Affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK.

Grants: 053272/Z/98/Z/JRS/JP (Agency:Wellcome Trust)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The American journal of psychiatry (Am J Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol 163 (issue 6) : pp 1044-51

Dates: Created 2006/06/02; Completed 2006/07/10; Revised 2007/08/13;

PMID: 16741205, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;163(6):957-60. (PMID: 16741192)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; physiopathology Brain Mapping Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; therapeutic use Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology Child Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; physiopathology Humans Inhibition (Psychology) Magnetic Resonance Imaging - statistics & numerical data

Magnetic Resonance Imaging - statistics & numerical data Male Motor Skills - physiology Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data Parietal Lobe - physiopathology Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology Psychomotor Performance - physiology Reaction Time - physiology Task Performance and Analysis Temporal Lobe - physiopathology

Associated Chemicals: Central Nervous System Stimulants (0)

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