ADHD linked to early brain differences in limbic system
Kids with ADHD show early, stable brain disruptions in the limbic system, affecting emotional and cognitive processing.
Why it matters
- ADHD involves differences in how emotional and cognitive brain circuits are wired during development.
- These differences are subtle but could influence symptom severity.
By the numbers
- 169 participants aged 9-14: 72 with ADHD, 97 controls.
- Advanced diffusion MRI scans at three time points, 18 months apart.
The big picture
- ADHD symptoms may be linked to disruptions in the limbic system's white matter.
- The severity of symptoms correlates with lower network density and reduced routing efficiency.
What they're saying
- The study suggests ADHD involves distributed, small-scale differences across multiple brain systems.
Caveats
- Differences are subtle and not sufficient for clinical prediction.
- Study limited to ages 9-14; unclear if differences persist or change with age.
What’s next
- Researchers aim to track brain development across the lifespan to understand how early differences evolve.