Differences In Brain Structure For Children With A.D.H.D

Significant differences are present in the brains of those with and without A.D.H.D as early as preschool according to a new study published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Changes include a smaller brain, and reductions in the size of several specific regions, including the frontal lobes. The magnitude of those reductions predicted how bad their A.D.H.D. is.

It is more common for an A.D.H.D. diagnosis to be made when children have trouble in school, rather than in the preschool years. That’s partly because there are few demands for most 3-year-olds to sit still and focus, and it is considered developmentally normal to be somewhat boisterous at that age. 

This study has contributed to the belief in the biological basis of A.D.H.D. However, what matters most is how the brain grows and changes; it’s the trajectory that needs to be understood, and which will help project future function and target help.

How Where The Four And Five Year Old Kids Coaxed Into Taking This Fancy Brain Scans?

Dr. Mahone’s team would bring the children in for practice sessions in a mock scanner, which looks and sounds just like a regular M.R.I. machine. If the child has trouble holding still, they can practice with a motion detector worn on the forehead, while watching a favorite movie that shuts off if the child moves.

It is important to acknowledge that the need to stay still for the scans may mean that the study included only children with more moderate symptoms.

The Takeaway

This is the first comprehensive study to have used M.R.I. scans on the brains of children as young as 4 with A.D.H.D. symptoms. This is a descriptive study that cannot establish cause and effect. But looking at these children’s brains as they change over time will be very important in providing invaluable data that allows us to learn more about children with A.D.H.D.

This study and others like it may help to identify A.D.H.D earlier on and start behavioral interventions as early as possible to improve outcomes.