Yufeng Wang

In this study, we investigated the changes in topological architectures of brain functional networks in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) were obtained from 19 children with ADHD and 20 healthy controls during resting state. Brain functional networks were constructed by thresholding the correlation matrix between 90 cortical and subcortical regions and further analyzed by applying graph theoretical approaches. Experimental results showed that, although brain networks of both groups exhibited economical small-world topology, altered functional networks were demonstrated in the brain of ADHD when compared with the normal controls. In particular, increased local efficiencies combined with a decreasing tendency in global efficiencies found in ADHD suggested a disorder-related shift of the topology toward regular networks. Additionally, significant alterations in nodal efficiency were also found in ADHD, involving prefrontal, temporal, and occipital cortex regions, which were compatible with previous ADHD studies. The present study provided the first evidence for brain dysfunction in ADHD from the viewpoint of global organization of brain functional networks by using resting-state fMRI.

In this study, a newly reported regional homogeneity approach was used to analyze blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging data on resting state in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder showed decreased regional homogeneity in the frontal-striatal-cerebellar circuits, but increased regional homogeneity mainly in the occipital cortex. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis of abnormal frontal-striatal-cerebellar circuits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The regional homogeneity approach may be a potentially useful method in exploring the pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.