Abnormal Amygdalar Activation and Connectivity in Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - 28/07/11
, Bonnie J. Nagel, Ph.D. b, Tiago V. Maia, Ph.D. a, Anna Mechling, B.A. a, Milim Oh, M.A. a, Zhishun Wang, Ph.D. a, Bradley S. Peterson, M.D. a
Correspondence to: Dr. Jonathan Posner, College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, Unit 74, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032Résumé |
Objective |
Emotional reactivity is one of the most disabling symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aimed to identify neural substrates associated with emotional reactivity and to assess the effects of stimulants on those substrates.
Method |
We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess neural activity in adolescents with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) ADHD while they performed a task involving the subliminal presentation of fearful faces. Using dynamic causal modeling, we also examined the effective connectivity of two regions associated with emotional reactivity, i.e., the amygdala and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC). The participants with ADHD underwent scanning both on and off stimulant medication in a counterbalanced fashion.
Results |
During the task, we found that activity in the right amygdala was greater in adolescents with ADHD than in control subjects. In addition, in adolescents with ADHD, greater connectivity was detected between the amygdala and LPFC. Stimulants had a normalizing effect on both the activity in the right amygdala and the connectivity between the amygdala and LPFC.
Conclusions |
Our findings demonstrate that in adolescents with ADHD, a neural substrate of fear processing is atypical, as is the connectivity between the amygdala and LPFC. These findings suggest possible neural substrates for the emotional reactivity that is often present in youths with ADHD, and provide putative neural targets for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for this condition.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key Words : ADHD, amygdala, effective connectivity, fear, stimulant medication
Plan
| This work was supported by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pilot Research Award (J.P.), Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation (J.P., T.V.M.), National Institute of Mental Health grants K23 MH091249 (J.P.) and K02 MH074677 (B.S.P.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant K08 NS52147 (B.J.N.), and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant P60 AA010760 (B.J.N.). |
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| Disclosure: Drs. Posner, Nagel, Maia, Wang, and Peterson, and Ms. Mechling, and Ms. Oh report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. |
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| Supplemental material cited in this article is available online. |
Vol 50 - N° 8
P. 828 - août 2011 Retour au numéro
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