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Different neural substrates for executive functions in youths with ADHD: a diffusion spectrum imaging tractography study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2016

H.-L. Chiang ,
Y.-J. Chen ,
C.-Y. Shang ,
W.-Y. I. Tseng  and
S. S.-F. Gau
H.-L. Chiang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Psychiatry, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Y.-J. Chen
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
C.-Y. Shang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
W.-Y. I. Tseng*
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
S. S.-F. Gau*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
*
*Address for correspondence: S. S.-F. Gau, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan. (Email: gaushufe@ntu.edu.tw) [S.S.-F.G] (Email: wytseng@ntu.edu.tw) [W.-Y.I.T]
*Address for correspondence: S. S.-F. Gau, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan. (Email: gaushufe@ntu.edu.tw) [S.S.-F.G] (Email: wytseng@ntu.edu.tw) [W.-Y.I.T]
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Abstract

Background

The relationship between white-matter tracts and executive functions (EF) in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been well studied and previous studies mainly focused on frontostriatal (FS) tracts. The authors explored the microstructural property of several fibre tracts hypothesized to be involved in EF, to correlate their microstructural property with EF, and to explore whether such associations differ between ADHD and typically developing (TD) youths.

Method

We assessed 45 youths with ADHD and 45 individually matched TD youths with a computerized test battery for multiple dimensions of EF. From magnetic resonance imaging, FS tract, superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), arcuate fasciculus (AF) and cingulum bundle (CB) were reconstructed by diffusion spectrum imaging tractography. The generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) values of white-matter tracts were computed to present microstructural property of each tract.

Results

We found lower GFA in the left FS tract, left SLF, left AF and right CB, and poorer performance in set-shifting, sustained attention, cognitive inhibition and visuospatial planning in ADHD than TD. The ADHD and TD groups demonstrated different association patterns between EF and fibre tract microstructural property. Most of the EF were associated with microstructural integrity of the FS tract and CB in TD youths, while with that of the FS tract, SLF and AF in youths with ADHD.

Conclusions

Our findings support that the SLF, AF and CB also involve in a wide range of EF and that the main fibre tracts involved in EF are different in youths with ADHD.

Keywords

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderdiffusion spectrum imagingexecutive functiontractography
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 6 , April 2016 , pp. 1225 - 1238
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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