Widespread cortical thinning is a robust anatomical marker for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
OBJECTIVE
This cross-sectional study sought to confirm the presence and regional profile of previously reported changes in laminar cortical thickness in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with typically developing control subjects.


METHODS
High-resolution magnetic resonance images were obtained from 22 (19 male and 3 female subjects; mean age 11.7 years) children and adolescents with ADHD and 22 age- and sex-matched control subjects (mean age 11.7 years). Brain tissue volumes were estimated for each subject. Cortical pattern matching methods were used to sample measures of laminar thickness at high spatial frequency across homologous regions of the cortex. Volume and thickness measures were compared across diagnostic groups with and without controlling for general intelligence. False discovery rate correction confirmed regional results.


RESULTS
The subjects with ADHD exhibited significant reductions in overall brain volume, gray matter volume, and mean cortical thickness compared with the controls, whereas white matter volumes were significantly increased in ADHD. Highly significant cortical thinning (false discovery rate-corrected p < .0006) was observed over large areas of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital association cortices and aspects of motor cortex but not within the primary sensory regions.


CONCLUSIONS
Cortical thickness reductions present a robust neuroanatomical marker for child and adolescent ADHD. Observations of widespread cortical thinning expand on earlier cross-sectional findings and provide further evidence to support that the neurobiological underpinnings of ADHD extend beyond prefrontal and subcortical circuits.
Narr
Katherine L
KL
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Electronic address: narr@loni.ucla.edu.
Woods
Roger P
RP
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Lin
James
J
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Kim
John
J
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Phillips
Owen R
OR
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Del'Homme
Melissa
M
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Caplan
Rochelle
R
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Toga
Arthur W
AW
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
McCracken
James T
JT
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Levitt
Jennifer G
JG
Drs. Narr, Toga, Woods and Mr. Phillips are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Ángeles; and Drs. Del'Homme, Caplan, McCracken, Levitt, Mr. Lin and Mr. Kim are with the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values