Systematic overview of neuroanatomical differences in ADHD: Definitive evidence

Abstract

ADHD symptoms might be due to a multi-network unbalanced functioning hypothesis.

Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with reduced norepinephrine transporter availability in right attention networks: a (S,S)-O-[11C]methylreboxetine positron emission tomography study

“…Importantly, we found no differences in local gray matter distribution, which is in line with the systematic review by de Melo et al 19 . The authors analyzed 17 reviews of whom none reported structural changes in adults with ADHD, while changes were reported in ADHD children.…”

“…It is of note that a recent placebo-controlled double-blind fMRI study, testing the comparative neurofunctional effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine during sustained attention, showed normalization in right fronto-parietal-thalamic areas under methylphenidate, but not under placebo 23 . In line with these findings, in the current study the associations between NET availability in right fronto-parietal-thalamic-cerebellar regions and neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters, suggest a pathophysiological role of NET availability in adult ADHD and support the model of right hemisphere deficits 19,57 in ADHD. While brain arousal has been understood as a generalized state of the brain 58 , it is a consistent finding that the ability to maintain an alert state relies heavily on the right cerebral hemisphere 14,59,60 .…”

“…While NE is released throughout the entire mammalian brain, evidence from structural and functional neuroimaging studies suggests that there are right hemispheric deficits in ADHD, specifically reduced overall cerebral volume including fronto-parietal areas, basal nuclei, globus pallidus and cerebellum 19 . Moreover, studies show functional abnormalities in two distinct domain-dissociated networks: (1) the fronto-parietal-thalamic-cerebellar network for attention and (2) the fronto-basal-ganglia network for inhibition 20–22 .…”

SPECT Functional Neuroimaging Distinguishes Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder From Healthy Controls in Big Data Imaging Cohorts

“…Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have found a small number of consistent findings across the agerange of ADHD (21). Multiple meta-analyses of case-control studies have shown reduced volume of the striatum in children with ADHD (22)(23)(24)(25); however, the reduced striatal volume in ADHD appears to correct itself with age (24,26).…”

ADHS im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Update 2020

“…Ätiologie ADHS ist eine Spektrumstörung, d. h. es gibt eine Vielfalt klinischer Ausprä-gungen, Schweregrade, Komorbiditäten und Verläufe sowie auch eine beträchtliche ätiologische Heterogenität [228,315]. Strukturell finden sich globale Auffälligkeiten, insbesondere verzögerte Hirnentwicklung mit kortikaler Massenreduktion vor allem im Frontalhirn, weiterhin thalamikale und zerebelläre Strukturdefizite, Vernetzungsprobleme langer Bahnen [332] sowie Mikrostrukturanomalien frontal, temporal und parietal [7,112,267,330]. Funktionelle Defizite betreffen Aktivierung und Konnektivität in diesen Arealen [125].…”