Evidence of Age Effects in Cortical Areas But Not in the Subcortex of ADHD Children: A Multi-Voxel In Vivo 31P Spectroscopy Study at 4 Tesla

Jeffrey A. Stanley¹, Dalal Khatib¹, Rachel M. Dick¹, Olivia A. McGarragle¹, Frank P. MacMaster¹, Vaibhav A. Diwadkar¹, Arthur L. Robin¹, David R. Rosenberg¹

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a serious public health problem that affects between 3 to 9% of children and accounts for between 30 to 40% of child referrals to mental health services. While the cause of this illness remains poorly understood, ADHD is increasingly seen as a neurodevelopmental disorder. In vivo ³¹P spectroscopy is a neuroimaging method that is sensitive in detecting biochemical changes as the brain develops. The purpose of this study is to provide further evidence of a developmental mechanism where early maldeveloped corticostriatal pathways may impact the maturational integration of prefrontal corticostriatal pathways in pediatric ADHD.