Altered resting-state functional connectivity patterns of anterior cingulate cortex in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has been found to function abnormally in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients in several former functional MRI (fMRI) studies. Resting-state low-frequency fluctuations (LFFs) of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals have been proved to be quite informative. This study used resting-state LFFs to investigate the resting-state functional connectivity pattern differences of dACC in adolescents with and without ADHD. As compared to the controls, the ADHD patients exhibited more significant resting-state functional connectivities with the dACC in bilateral dACC, bilateral thalamus, bilateral cerebellum, bilateral insula and bilateral brainstem (pons). No brain region in the controls was found to exhibit more significant resting-state functional connectivity with the dACC. We suggest these abnormally more significant functional connectivities in the ADHD patients may indicate the abnormality of autonomic control functions in them.