Brain Imaging In ADHD: Basal Ganglia
ByNew imaging technology shows brains of those with ADD/ADHD may differ
Could it be that in addition to the differences in how the brains of those with ADD/ADHD act, there may be also a fundamental difference in the shape of this organ as well?
This research, just published in the online edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry, shows actual differences in the shapes of boys’ brains with ADD/ADHD. Why is this even important? This knowledge may eventually help to locate the specific neural circuits that are involved in this disorder.
Staff from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins Center for Imaging Science used a new tool in this project. It’s called a large deformation diffeomorphic mapping (LDDMM) tool, providing them with a very accurate shape of the basal ganglia. Previous research only looked at the volume of the basal ganglia, but was not able to actually determine shape differences. This area of the brain is located deep within either hemisphere of the organ.
Not only did the boys with ADD/ADHD have a significant difference in the shape, but also noticeably smaller volume of the basal ganglia as well. Curiously, girls’ brains revealed no differences. This evidence suggests, the researchers explain, that sex influences the way ADD/ADHD is expressed.
The study viewed the brains of 47 children with ADHD as well as a control group of 66 youngsters, all between the ages of 8 to 13 years old.
These results are exciting because they are building on the growing research which shows that the shape of some parts of the brain may play a factor in this disorder. In fact, the research involves the first reported shape abnormality of the basal ganglia.
Researchers explain that this is only the beginning of the research into this area. The next phase, they explain, is to examine whether these differences in the brain can actually predict certain behavioral symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Possible future studies could include examining the structural features that are associated with compensating and responding to therapy.
To read the entire article click here.
Dr. Kenny
Technorati Tags: ADD, ADHD, Brain Imaging, Basal Ganglia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Brain
This study is not worth the paper it prints on!
1. The “difference” is an AVERAGE difference . . . not an absolute difference between normal and “ADD”
2. The “difference is equally likely to be a result of the behaviors in that group as opposed to represent a “cause of them”!
3. There is no “test” by which categorically to distuish “ADD” from normal. (refer to 1998 NIH Consensus Devel Conf, 2002 State of the Science Text, etc)
It is stunning that reviewers are so non-rigorous as even to publish, let alone, publicize such silly conjecture.
Hi Dr.,
Thanks for sharing your comments.
The American Journal of Psychiatry is the 2nd most rigorous and respected journal in Psychiatry. All articles go through a rigorous peer review.
Brain imaging is still a growing field, and although you may feel that this study doesn’t meet your standards, it is important work, and innovating a new technique for brain imaging.
Dr. Kenny
One thing that really caught my attention was the pysioIical differences based on gender, something, at least, in my opinion, which is often way overlooked in ADHD cases. I know that other regions of the brain and CNS, such as the deep limbic system have pronounced gender differences, it is interesting to see that the basal ganglia does as well (as far as shape and volume is concerned).
The differences in expression of the disorder are remarkably different, and having hardwired biological evidence to support these claims is a big step forward. I hope that these gender differences will become an increasingly greater factor in medication strategies for ADHD.
All angles of ADHD need to be looked at and thanks to this study, gender may get another closer look as a possible major factor in the degrees of severity of ADHD in various people. Even if this study was “hogwash” as our good friend Dr. Bose Ravenel suggests, this might lead to a new idea or area that was never considered before, that might just happen to lead to a major treatment or ideally (albeit low chance) of finding a cure. Since a common symptom of ADHD is addiction to things or objeects (smoking, drugs, questionable material, etc) looking at the source of addition (brains) might yield some discoveries and extra knowledge.
The doctor above (Ravenel) is part of a small – but vocal – group of individuals who advocate against the idea that ADHD has a neurological / biological basis (in other words, that it’s a real mental disorder with a biological basis) on ideological grounds, and will oppose any science (including peer reviewed studies appearing in top journals) that demonstrates this fact, in favor of their own ideology. (Many of these individuals advocate a “Christian child rearing” approach emphasizing discipline as the key to controlling ADHD behavior). As the science-based evidence continues to mount, with the accumulated evidence now overwhelmingly favoring a clear biological basis for ADHD, the (extreme) views of these individuals will be further marginalized. But these individuals will always be there.