Reduced insular volume in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether structural differences in the insula and anterior cingulate (ACC), two critical areas of the “salience network,” co-exist in adolescents with ADHD compared to healthy controls (HC). In addition we aimed to determine if structural changes within these regions correlate with attention and inhibitory function. Nineteen adolescents with ADHD and 25 HC received MRI scans on a 3T magnet. Morphometric analysis was performed with FreeSurfer. Youths with ADHD were found to have a bilateral reduction in anterior insular (AIC) gray matter volumes compared to HC. Furthermore, the left AIC was found to positively correlate with oppositional symptoms, while the right AIC was found to associate with both attention problems and inhibition. To our knowledge this is the first report of a bilateral reduction in AIC volumes in ADHD. Our findings suggest a role for the insula in modulating attention and inhibitory capacity in ADHD.

Interindividual differences in cognitive flexibility: Influence of gray-matter volume, functional connectivity and trait impulsivity

“…In particular, decreased aINS GMV was found in patients with addiction (Moreno-Lopez et al 2012), schizophrenia (Ellison-Wright et al 2008;Bora et al 2011;Radua et al 2012;Pu et al 2012;Shepherd et al 2012), ADHD (Lopez-Larson et al 2012) as well as borderline personality disorder (Soloff et al 2012). Our current results suggest that this decrease in aINS volume might be related to executive functioning deficits.…”

Abnormalities of structural covariance networks in drug-naïve boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…This result was comparable to Lopez-Larson et al (2012) findings of bilateral reduction in anterior insular GM volumes in ADHD adolescents, which was associated with both attention and inhibition problems. Additionally, Brieber et al (2007) found volume reduction in the left insula in ADHD subjects.…”

“…Additionally, Brieber et al (2007) found volume reduction in the left insula in ADHD subjects. The insula is engaged in a wide variety of functions, such as attention, decision-making, cognitive control, performance monitoring, and anticipation (Craig, 2009), and it plays a critical role in switching between the default mode network and central executive information processing (Lopez-Larson et al, 2012). Abnormalities in these functions, which are associated with the insula, are also the core deficits of ADHD; thus, the aberrant insula volume observed in this study may underpin the behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions in ADHD.…”

Interindividual differences in cognitive flexibility: influence of gray matter volume, functional connectivity and trait impulsivity

“…In particular, decreased aINS GMV was found in patients with addiction (Moreno-Lopez et al 2012), schizophrenia (Ellison-Wright et al 2008; Bora et al 2011; Radua et al 2012; Pu et al 2012; Shepherd et al 2012), ADHD (Lopez-Larson et al 2012) as well as borderline personality disorder (Soloff et al 2012). Our current results suggest that this decrease in aINS volume might be related to executive functioning deficits.…”