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European child & adolescent psychiatry
Aug, 2024;33 (8): 2593-2604.

Gray matter asymmetry alterations in children and adolescents with comorbid autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Cuicui Li, Rui Zhang, Yunna Zhou, Tong Li, Rui Qin, Lin Li, Xianshun Yuan, Li Wang, Ximing Wang
Author Information
  1. Cuicui Li: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  2. Rui Zhang: Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1 Jingba Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  3. Yunna Zhou: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  4. Tong Li: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  5. Rui Qin: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  6. Lin Li: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
  7. Xianshun Yuan: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China. yuanxianshun@163.com.
  8. Li Wang: Physical Examination Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China. wli6767@126.com.
  9. Ximing Wang: Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China. wxming369@163.com.
PMID: 38159135 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02323-4

Abstract

Despite the high coexistence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (ASD + ADHD), the underlying neurobiological basis of this disorder remains unclear. Altered brain structural asymmetries have been verified in ASD and ADHD, respectively, making brain asymmetry a candidate for characterizing this coexisting disorder. Here, we measured the gray matter (GM) volume asymmetry in ASD + ADHD versus ASD without ADHD (ASD-only), ADHD without ASD (ADHD-only), and typically developing controls (TDc). High-resolution T1-weighted data from 48 ASD + ADHD, 63 ASD-only, 32 ADHD-only, and 211 matched TDc were included in our study. We also assessed brain-behavior relationships and the effects of age on GM asymmetry. We found that there were both shared and disorder-specific GM volume asymmetry alterations in ASD + ADHD, ASD-only, and ADHD-only compared with TDc. This finding demonstrates that ASD + ADHD is neither an endophenocopy nor an additive pathology of ASD and ADHD, but an entirely different neuroanatomical pathology. In addition, ASD + ADHD displayed altered GM volume asymmetries in the prefrontal regions responsible for executive function and theory of mind compared with ASD-only. We also found significant effects of age on GM asymmetry. The present study may provide structural insights into the neural basis of ASD + ADHD.

Keywords

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Autism spectrum disorder Comorbidity Gray matter volume asymmetry

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Grants

  1. 81871354，81571672/National Natural Science Foundation Of China

MeSH Term

Adolescent
Child
Female
Humans
Male
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Gray Matter
Comorbidity
Behavior
Comparative Study Journal Article

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