title: Frontostriatal connectivity and its role in cognitive control in parent-child dyads with ADHD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have linked the structure and function of frontostriatal circuitry to cognitive control deficits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Few studies have examined the role of white matter tracts between these structures or the extent to which white matter tract myelination and regularity correlate in family members with the disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional imaging maps from a go/nogo task were used to identify portions of the ventral prefrontal cortex and striatum involved in suppressing an inappropriate action (i.e., cognitive control) in 30 parent-child dyads (N=60), including 20 dyads (N=40) with ADHD and 10 dyads (N=20) without ADHD. An automated fiber-tracking algorithm was used to delineate white matter fibers adjacent to these functionally defined regions based on diffusion tensor images. Fractional anisotropy, an index of white matter tract myelination and regularity derived from diffusion tensor images, was calculated to characterize the associations between white matter tracts and function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fractional anisotropy in right prefrontal fiber tracts correlated with both functional activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and caudate nucleus and performance of a go/nogo task in parent-child dyads with ADHD, even after controlling for age. Prefrontal fiber tract measures were tightly associated between ADHD parents and their children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively, these findings support previous studies suggesting heritability of frontostriatal structures among individuals with ADHD and suggest disruption in frontostriatal white matter tracts as one possible pathway to the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., Box 140, New York, NY 10021, USA. bjc68@cornell.edu
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Jeffery N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buhle
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liston
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Simon T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Tonev
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spicer
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niogi
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Millner
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hinshaw
authors.forename: Laurence L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Greenhill
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shafritz
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kotler
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jarrett
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glover
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D035061:Control Groups; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology