Cerebellar morphology and the effects of stimulant medications in youths with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.
The cerebellum is emerging as a key anatomical structure underlying normal attentional and cognitive control mechanisms. Dysregulation within cerebellar circuits may contribute to the core symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the present study we aimed to characterize surface morphological features of the cerebellum in ADHD and healthy comparison youths. Further, we studied the association of cerebellar morphology with the severity of ADHD symptoms and the effects of stimulant treatment. We examined 46 youths with ADHD and 59 comparison youths 8-18 years of age in a cross-sectional, case-control study using magnetic resonance imaging. Measures of cerebellar surface morphology were the primary outcome. Relative to comparison participants, youths with ADHD exhibited smaller regional volumes corresponding to the lateral surface of the left anterior and the right posterior cerebellar hemispheres. Stimulant medication was associated with larger regional volumes over the left cerebellar surface, whereas more severe ADHD symptoms were associated with smaller regional volumes in the vermis. We used optimized measures of morphology to detect alterations in cerebellar anatomy specific to ADHD, dimensions of symptomology, and stimulant treatment. Duration of treatment correlated positively with volumes of specific cerebellar subregions, supporting a model whereby compensatory morphological changes support the effects of stimulant treatment.
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Iliyan
I
Ivanov
1] Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA [2] Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA [3] Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
James W
JW
Murrough
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Ravi
R
Bansal
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Xuejun
X
Hao
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Bradley S
BS
Peterson
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index