Disturbed transcallosally mediated motor inhibition in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate mechanisms of motor-cortical excitability and inhibition which may contribute to motor hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


METHODS
Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), involvement of the motor cortex and the corpus callosum was analysed in 13 children with ADHD and 13 sex- and age-matched controls. Contralateral silent period (cSP) and transcallosally mediated ipsilateral silent period (iSP) were investigated.


RESULTS
Resting motor threshold (RMT), amplitudes of motor evoked potentials (MEP) and cSP were similar in both groups whereas iSP-latencies were significantly longer (p<0.05) and their duration shorter (p<0.01) in the ADHD group. For the ADHD group iSP duration tended to increase and iSP latency to decrease with age (n.s.). Conners-Scores did neither correlate with iSP-latencies and -duration nor with children's age.


CONCLUSIONS
The shortened duration of iSP in ADHD children could be explained by an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory drive on the neuronal network between cortex layer III-the projection site of transcallosal motor-cortical fibers-and layer V, the origin of the pyramidal tract. The longer iSP-latencies might be the result of defective myelination of fast conducting transcallosal fibers in ADHD. iSP may be a useful supplementary diagnostic tool to discriminate between ADHD and normal children.
Department of Child and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry, Centre of Nerve Disease, University of Rostock, Gehlsdorfer Strasse 20, 18147 Rostock, Germany.
J
J
Buchmann
A
A
Wolters
F
F
Haessler
S
S
Bohne
R
R
Nordbeck
E
E
Kunesch
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time