Emotion dysregulation and integration of emotion-related brain networks affect intraindividual change in ADHD severity throughout late adolescence
Tammo Viering,
Pieter J. Hoekstra,
Alexandra Philipsen,
Jilly Naaijen,
Andrea Dietrich,
Catharina A. Hartman,
Barbara Franke,
Jan K. Buitelaar,
Andrea Hildebrandt,
Christiane M. Thiel,
Carsten Gießing
Affiliations
Tammo Viering
Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Postfach 2503, Oldenburg 26111, Germany; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands; Corresponding author.
Pieter J. Hoekstra
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands
Alexandra Philipsen
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Jilly Naaijen
Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Andrea Dietrich
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands
Catharina A. Hartman
Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, Groningen, Netherlands
Barbara Franke
Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Jan K. Buitelaar
Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Andrea Hildebrandt
Psychological Methods and Statistics, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Christiane M. Thiel
Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Postfach 2503, Oldenburg 26111, Germany; Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany; Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4all”, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Carsten Gießing
Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Postfach 2503, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
The course of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from adolescence into adulthood shows large variations between individuals; nonetheless determinants of interindividual differences in the course are not well understood. A frequent problem in ADHD, associated with worse outcomes, is emotion dysregulation. We investigated whether emotion dysregulation and integration of emotion-related functional brain networks affect interindividual differences in ADHD severity change. ADHD severity and resting state neuroimaging data were measured in ADHD and unaffected individuals at two points during adolescence and young adulthood. Bivariate latent change score models were applied to investigate whether emotion dysregulation and network integration affect ADHD severity changes. Emotion dysregulation was gauged from questionnaire subscales for conduct problems, emotional problems and emotional lability. Better emotion regulation was associated with a better course of ADHD (104 participants, 44 females, age range: 12–27). Using graph analysis, we determined network integration of emotion-related functional brain networks. Network integration was measured by nodal efficiency, i.e., the average inverse path distance from one node to all other nodes. A pattern of low nodal efficiency of cortical regions associated with emotion processing and high nodal efficiency in subcortical areas and cortical areas involved in implicit emotion regulation predicted a better ADHD course. Larger nodal efficiency of the right orbitofrontal cortex was related to a better course of ADHD (99 participants, 42 females, age range: 10–29). We demonstrated that neural and behavioral covariates associated with emotion regulation affect the course of ADHD severity throughout adolescence and early adulthood beyond baseline effects of ADHD severity.
