Cognitive MR spectroscopy of anterior cingulate cortex in ADHD: Elevated choline signal correlates with slowed hit reaction times

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a major role in modulating executive control of attention. Here, 15 medication-naı¨ve patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 10 carefully matched healthy controls were studied with 2D 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of the ACC [Brodmann areas 24b′-c′ and 32′]. Attentional skills were assessed using the identical pairs version of the continuous performance task (CPT-IP). Analysis of regional brain spectra revealed a significantly increased signal of choline-containing compounds (Ch) in the ACC of ADHD patients (p < 0.05). Across and within groups, the Ch signal showed high correlations with slowed hit reaction times on the CPT-IP. No group differences in N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and creatine (tCr) were detectable. The combination of performance deficits and elevated Ch levels in the ACC supports the hypothesis that subtle structural abnormalities underlie the functional alterations in ACC activation previously observed in ADHD patients.