Evidence of Pronounced Surface Deformation of the Subcortical Caudate Nucleus in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Boys with a Comorbid Reading Disability

Dhruman Goradia¹, Sherry Vogel¹, Brianne Mohl¹, Caroline Zajac-Benitez¹, Dalal Khatib¹, Rachel Dick¹, Usha Rajan¹, Olivia McGarragle¹, David R. Rosenberg¹, Jeffrey A. Stanley¹

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability (RD) are frequently comorbid with RD coexisting in about 20-40% of cases with ADHD. However, the neuropathology differentiating ADHD with RD from ADHD without RD remains poorly understood. Reduction of caudate volume is a consistent observation in ADHD but not in RD. Because cortical projections to the striatum (caudate and putamen) are topographically organized, assessing morphological shape deformation of the striatum may implicate specific corticostriatal pathways. This study aims to assess alterations in surface deformation of the striatum that differentiate ADHD with RD from ADHD without RD and healthy control.