Tuija Tolonen , Sami Leppämäki , Timo Roine , Kimmo Alho , Pekka Tani , Anniina Koski , Matti Laine , Juha Salmi
{"title":"Working memory related functional connectivity in adult ADHD and its amenability to training: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Tuija Tolonen , Sami Leppämäki , Timo Roine , Kimmo Alho , Pekka Tani , Anniina Koski , Matti Laine , Juha Salmi","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103696","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Working memory (WM) deficits are among the most prominent cognitive impairments in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While functional connectivity is a prevailing approach in brain imaging of ADHD, alterations in WM-related functional brain networks and their malleability by cognitive training are not well known. We examined whole-brain functional connectivity differences between adults with and without ADHD during <em>n</em>-back WM tasks and rest at pretest, as well as the effects of WM training on functional and structural brain connectivity in the ADHD group.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-two adults with ADHD and 36 neurotypical controls performed visuospatial and verbal <em>n</em>-back tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In addition, seven-minute resting state fMRI data and diffusion-weighted MR images were collected from all participants. The adults with ADHD continued into a 5-week randomized controlled WM training trial (experimental group training on a dual <em>n</em>-back task, <em>n</em> = 21; active control group training on Bejeweled II video game, <em>n</em> = 21), followed by a posttraining MRI. Brain connectivity was examined with Network-Based Statistic.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At the pretest, adults with ADHD had decreased functional connectivity compared with the neurotypical controls during both <em>n</em>-back tasks in networks encompassing fronto-parietal, temporal, occipital, cerebellar, and subcortical brain regions. Furthermore, WM-related connectivity in widespread networks was associated with performance accuracy in a continuous performance test. Regarding resting state connectivity, no group differences or associations with task performance were observed. WM training did not modulate functional or structural connectivity compared with the active controls.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our results indicate large-scale abnormalities in functional brain networks underlying deficits in verbal and visuospatial WM commonly faced in ADHD. Training-induced plasticity in these networks may be limited.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 103696"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Neuroimage-Clinical","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224001372","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROIMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Working memory (WM) deficits are among the most prominent cognitive impairments in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While functional connectivity is a prevailing approach in brain imaging of ADHD, alterations in WM-related functional brain networks and their malleability by cognitive training are not well known. We examined whole-brain functional connectivity differences between adults with and without ADHD during n-back WM tasks and rest at pretest, as well as the effects of WM training on functional and structural brain connectivity in the ADHD group.
Methods
Forty-two adults with ADHD and 36 neurotypical controls performed visuospatial and verbal n-back tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In addition, seven-minute resting state fMRI data and diffusion-weighted MR images were collected from all participants. The adults with ADHD continued into a 5-week randomized controlled WM training trial (experimental group training on a dual n-back task, n = 21; active control group training on Bejeweled II video game, n = 21), followed by a posttraining MRI. Brain connectivity was examined with Network-Based Statistic.
Results
At the pretest, adults with ADHD had decreased functional connectivity compared with the neurotypical controls during both n-back tasks in networks encompassing fronto-parietal, temporal, occipital, cerebellar, and subcortical brain regions. Furthermore, WM-related connectivity in widespread networks was associated with performance accuracy in a continuous performance test. Regarding resting state connectivity, no group differences or associations with task performance were observed. WM training did not modulate functional or structural connectivity compared with the active controls.
Conclusion
Our results indicate large-scale abnormalities in functional brain networks underlying deficits in verbal and visuospatial WM commonly faced in ADHD. Training-induced plasticity in these networks may be limited.
期刊介绍:
NeuroImage: Clinical, a journal of diseases, disorders and syndromes involving the Nervous System, provides a vehicle for communicating important advances in the study of abnormal structure-function relationships of the human nervous system based on imaging.
The focus of NeuroImage: Clinical is on defining changes to the brain associated with primary neurologic and psychiatric diseases and disorders of the nervous system as well as behavioral syndromes and developmental conditions. The main criterion for judging papers is the extent of scientific advancement in the understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of diseases and disorders, in identification of functional models that link clinical signs and symptoms with brain function and in the creation of image based tools applicable to a broad range of clinical needs including diagnosis, monitoring and tracking of illness, predicting therapeutic response and development of new treatments. Papers dealing with structure and function in animal models will also be considered if they reveal mechanisms that can be readily translated to human conditions.