Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and medication with stimulants in young children: A DTI study

• We investigated children with ADHD and the influence of treatment with methylphenidate in the white matter using DTI.
• Two different and complementary DTI analysis methods were employed, namely TBSS and a robust tractography selection method.
• A reduced Mean Diffusivity was found in ADHD patients under treatment with respect to both controls and drug-naïve patients.
• Also, correlations were found between MD increases and performance indicators of ADHD.
• No significant differences were found in Fractional Anisotropy between medicated, drug-naïve patients and healthy controls.

The relationship between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and white matter connectivity has not been well established yet, specially for children under 10 years of age. In addition, the effects of treatment on brain structure have not been sufficiently explored from a Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) perspective. In this study, the influence of treatment with methylphenidate in the white matter of children with ADHD was investigated using two different and complementary DTI analysis methods: Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and a robust tractography selection method. No significant differences were found in Fractional Anisotropy (FA) between medicated, drug-naïve patients and healthy controls, but a reduced Mean Diffusivity (MD) was found in ADHD patients under treatment with respect to both healthy controls and drug-naïve ADHD patients. Also, correlations were found between MD increases and performance indicators of ADHD. These findings may help elucidate the nature of white matter alterations in ADHD, their relationship with symptoms and the effects of treatment with psychostimulants.