Joseph A. Helpern1,2, Vitria Adisetiyo3, Adriana Di Martino4, Maria F. Falangola1, Anita Ramani1, Caixia Hu1, Kathleen A. Williams1, Francisco X. Castellanos4, Jens H. Jensen1,2
1Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 2Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York , NY, USA; 3Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 4Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
Several volumetric MRI studies have identified an aberrant developmental trajectory in ADHD however there are currently no diffusion studies looking at the age-related microarchitectural changes in ADHD during adolescence. Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) was used to directly quantify gray and white matter complexity from age 12 to 18 years. While typically developing controls displayed dynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex, adolescents with ADHD had stagnant measures throughout this period. Voxel-based analysis localized the principal regions of dynamic changes found in controls but lacking in ADHD as the internal capsule (anterior limb), corona radiata and superior longitudinal fasciculus in both hemispheres.