Imaging genetics of neural network in ADHD using resting state fMRI

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13106
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: Mizuno Yoshifumi 福井大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 特別研究員 (50756814)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 注意欠如多動症（ADHD） / 自閉スペクトラム症（ASD) / 構造的MRI / 中心後回

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share high rates of comorbidity. However, no structural studies have focused on patients with comorbid ASD and ADHD. We thus aimed to clarify the structural features and developmental changes in patients with comorbid ASD and ADHD in a relatively large sample from two sites. Ninety-two patients and 141 typically developing (TD) controls were assessed for volumetric characteristics using structural MRI. Patients with ASD and ADHD exhibited significantly lower left postcentral gyrus volumes than TD controls. We observed significantly lower postcentral gyrus volumes exclusively in children and preadolescents, and not in adolescents. Our findings suggest that abnormal somatosensory, attributed to delayed maturation of the left postcentral gyrus, leads to the core symptoms experienced by patients with comorbid ASD and ADHD.

Free Research Field

小児発達学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

福井大学と大阪大学によって比較的多数のサンプルを集積して解析を行った結果、これまで明らかにされていなかった自閉スペクトラム症（ASD）と注意欠如多動症（ADHD）の併存例における脳構造の特徴と発達による変化が明らかとなった。この成果はASD・ADHDのの病態解明に貢献し、ASD・ADHDを客観的に評価するためのバイオマーカーの開発につながる可能性がある。