Diagnosis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid autistic traits (ATs) by applying quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques

Shilong Tang; Xianfan Liu; Lisha Nie; Zhuo Chen; Qiying Ran; Ling He

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1038471

Frontiers in Psychiatry (Nov 2022)

Diagnosis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid autistic traits (ATs) by applying quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques

Shilong Tang,
Xianfan Liu,
Lisha Nie,
Zhuo Chen,
Qiying Ran,
Ling He

Affiliations

Shilong Tang: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China
Xianfan Liu: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China
Lisha Nie: GE Healthcare, MR Research China, Beijing, China
Zhuo Chen: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China
Qiying Ran: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China
Ling He: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1038471
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13

Abstract

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ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of applying quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques for the diagnosis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid autistic traits (ATs).MethodsA prospective study was performed by selecting 56 children aged 4–5 years with ADHD-ATs as the study group and 53 sex- and age-matched children with ADHD without ATs as the control group. All children underwent magnetic resonance scans with enhanced T2*- weighted magnetic resonance angiography (ESWAN), 3D-PCASL, and 3D-T1 sequences. Iron content and cerebral blood flow parameters were obtained via subsequent software processing, and the parameter values in particular brain regions in both groups were compared and analyzed to determine the characteristics of these parameters in children with ADHD-ATs.ResultsIron content and cerebral blood flow in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, hippocampus, and caudate nucleus of children with ADHD-ATs were lower than those of children with ADHD without ATs (p < 0.05). Iron content and CBF values in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe and caudate nucleus could distinguish children with ADHD-ATs from those without ATs (AUC > 0.5, p < 0.05).ConclusionsQuantitative magnetic resonance techniques could distinguish children with ADHD-ATs.Trial registrationThis study protocol was registered at the Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2100046616).

Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry

ISSN: 1664-0640 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system: Psychiatry
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry

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