Assessing the relationship between maternal risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and functional connectivity in their biological toddlers

Anastasia Kerr-German, Stuart F. White, Hendrik Santosa, Aaron T. Buss, Gaelle E. Doucet

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with increased risk for poor educational attainment and compromised social integration. Currently, clinical diagnosis rarely occurs before school-age, despite behavioral signs of ADHD in very early childhood. There is no known brain biomarker for ADHD risk in children ages 2-3 years-old. Methods. The current study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) associated with ADHD risk in 70 children aged 2.5 and 3.5 years via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in bilateral frontal and parietal cortices; regions involved in attentional and goal-directed cognition. Children were instructed to passively watch videos for approximately 5 min. Risk for ADHD in each child was assessed via maternal symptoms of ADHD, and brain data was evaluated for FC. Results. Higher risk for maternal ADHD was associated with lower FC in a left-sided parieto-frontal network. Further, the interaction between sex and risk for ADHD was significant, where FC reduction in a widespread bilateral parieto-frontal network was associated with higher risk in male, but not female, participants. Conclusions. These findings suggest functional organization differences in the parietal-frontal network in toddlers at risk for ADHD; potentially advancing the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the development of ADHD.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere66
JournalEuropean Psychiatry
Volume65
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Oct 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • attention
  • fNIRS
  • functional connectivity
  • passive viewing
  • toddlers

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