Neural correlates of interference inhibition, action withholding and action cancelation in adult ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is marked by inhibitory and attentional deficits which can persist into adulthood. Those deficits have been associated with dysfunctional fronto-striatal and fronto-parietal circuits. The present study sought to delineate neural correlates of component specific inhibitory deficits in adult ADHD using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). 20 adult ADHD patients and 24 matched healthy controls were included. Brain activation was assessed during three stages of behavioral inhibition, i.e. interference inhibition (Simon task), action withholding (Go/no-go task) and action cancelation (Stop-signal task). Behaviorally, ADHD patients were affected in all tasks. Impaired interference inhibition was associated with hypoactivation in parietal and medial frontal regions. During action withholding and cancelation ADHD patients displayed hypoactivation in a fronto-striatal network. These findings support the notion of at least two disturbed neural circuits in ADHD differentially associated with deficits in separate inhibitory subcomponents. Thereby, deficits in inhibitory subcomponents which are closely connected to response interference were related to hypofunction in more attention related circuits, while stopping related deficits were rather associated with hypofunction in inhibitory circuits.