title: Cortical thickness differences in the prefrontal cortex in children and adolescents with ADHD in relation to dopamine transporter (DAT1) genotype.
abstract: Several lines of evidence suggest that the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) plays a crucial role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Concretely, recent data indicate that the 10-repeat (10R) DAT1 allele may mediate neuropsychological functioning, response to methylphenidate, and even brain function and structure in children with ADHD. This study aimed to investigate the influence of 10R DAT1 on thickness of the prefrontal cortex in children and adolescents with ADHD. To this end, brain magnetic resonance images were acquired from 33 patients with homozygosity for the 10R allele and 30 patients with a single copy or no copy of the allele. The prefrontal cortex of each MRI scan was automatically parceled into regions of interest (ROIs) based on Brodmann areas (BA). The two groups were matched for age, gender, IQ, ADHD subtype, symptom severity, comorbidity and medication status. However, patients with two copies of the 10R allele exhibited significantly decreased cortical thickness in right BA 46 relative to patients with one or fewer copies of the allele. No other prefrontal ROI differed significantly between the two groups. Present findings suggest that cortical thickness of right lateral prefrontal cortex (BA 46) is influenced by the presence of the DAT1 10 repeat allele in children and adolescents with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Quiron University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: aferjaen@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Jaén
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: López-Martín
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jacobo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Quiron University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel Martín
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Mayoralas
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Quiron University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana Laura
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fernández-Perrone
authors.affiliation: Service, Neuro-Radiology Unit, Magnetic Resonance Unit, Quiron University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar Jiménez
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de La Peña
authors.affiliation: Pediatrician, Pediatric Primary Care, Doctor Cirajas Healthcare Center, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calleja-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Service, Neuro-Radiology Unit, Magnetic Resonance Unit, Quiron University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel Recio
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Child-Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Gómez Ulla Hospital, Madrid, Centro CADE, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: López-Arribas
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Section, Infanta Leonor Hospital of Vallecas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Jareño
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493214:SLC6A3 protein, human
keywords: 10R DAT1 allele; ADHD; Cortical thickness; DAT1; Prefrontal cortex