A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study in Children With ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD, and Matched Controls: Distinct and Non-Distinct White Matter Disruption and Dimensional Brain-Behavior Relationships
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD], and obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) share genetic vulnerability and symptom domains. The authors present direct comparison of structural brain circuitry in children and adolescents with NDDs and control subjects and examine brain circuit-behavior relationships across NDDs using dimensional measures related to each disorder. METHOD: Diffusion imaging and behavioral measures were acquired in 200 children and adolescents (ADHD: N=31; OCD: N=36; ASD: N=71; controls: N=62; mean age range: 10.3-12.6 years). Following Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, multigroup comparison of white matter indices was conducted, followed by pairwise comparisons. Relationships of fractional anisotropy with dimensional measures of inattention, social deficits, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and general adaptive functioning were conducted across the NDD sample. RESULTS: Lower fractional anisotropy within the splenium of the corpus callosum was found in each NDD group, compared with the control group. Lower fractional anisotropy in additional white matter tracts was found in the ASD and ADHD groups, compared with the control group, but not in the OCD group. Fractional anisotropy was lower in the ASD and ADHD groups compared with the OCD group but was not different in ADHD participants compared with ASD participants. A positive relation between fractional anisotropy (across much of the brain) and general adaptive functioning across NDDs was shown. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified disruption in interhemispheric circuitry (i.e., fractional anisotropy alterations in the corpus callosum) as a shared feature of ASD, ADHD, and OCD. However, fractional anisotropy alterations may be more widespread and severe in ASD and ADHD than in OCD. Higher fractional anisotropy throughout the brain appears to be related to better adaptive function across NDDs.
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There is growing evidence that ASD and ADHD share common genetic variants, similar psychological deficits and neuroimaging differences.
“There is also growing evidence that ASD and ADHD share common genetic variants, similar psychological deficits and neuroimaging differences [10–12].”
From Mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders in the ICD-11: an international perspective on key changes and controversies (2020) · cites this paper as [12]
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References 40 · Cited by 155
- Authors
- Ameis, S. H., Lerch, J. P., Taylor, M. J., Lee, W., Viviano, J. D., Pipitone, J., Nazeri, A., Croarkin, P. E., Voineskos, A. N., Lai, M.-C., Crosbie, J., Brian, J., Soreni, N., Schachar, R., Szatmari, P., Arnold, P. D., & Anagnostou, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- From the Centre for Brain and Mental Health and the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto; the Department of Psychology, University of Toronto; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Medical Biophysics, the Department of Pediatrics, and the Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute, University of Toronto; the Margaret and Wallace...
- ORCID
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2016-12-01
- Volume
- 173
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1213-1222
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2467263299
- Semantic Scholar
- fae7ce205ab02923312f099993d3b786a5f54bef
- Cited by
- 155
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 12.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders, white matter disruption, fractional anisotropy, corpus callosum, splenium, interhemispheric connectivity, inattention, social dysfunction, adaptive behavior, children and adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adaptation, Psychological, Attention, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Brain, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Behavior, Case-Control Studies, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Neuroimaging, White Matter
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