Studies In children with ADHD, several brain areas have changed significantly

ADHD reduces the size of regions in the brain of affected children?
Researchers have now found that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have multiple brain regions smaller than usual. This new finding provides evidence that ADHD should be considered a neurological disorder.

Researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands found in an investigation that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder have multiple brain areas smaller than normal human brains. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "The Lancet Psychiatry".

ADHD in children leads to difficulties in learning, general inattention and hyperactivity. Experts found that children with ADHD have various smaller regions of the brain. (Image: S.Kobold / fotolia.com)

Results could lead to more effective drug treatment
The current study was the largest ever study of the brains of patients with ADHD. The results could give indications for the development of new treatment methods. If it is known which regions of the brain are involved in ADHD, they may possibly become the target of special drugs, says the author. Martine Hoogman from Radboud University in the Netherlands.

Experts are studying the brain scans of more than 3,200 people
ADHD causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity in those affected. But people with ADHD do not always show all of these features, say the doctors. The researchers analyzed MRI scans of more than 3,200 people in nine different countries for their study. The participants were between the ages of four and 63 years. 1,713 subjects suffered from ADHD. The physicians found that five regions of the brains of children with ADHD were slightly smaller. Among them were also regions, which are connected with emotions, voluntary movement and understanding, explain the authors.

Until adulthood, the differences are no longer significant
The discoveries already support previous theories that the brains of people with ADHD could develop more slowly. However, these differences seem to be largely compensated over time as these children grow older. Until those affected become adults, the differences in the brain are no longer significant, explain the doctors.

Decreased brain substance is not always a disadvantage
Although critics described the results as interesting, they also said that there was not enough information to link brain differences to behavioral problems seen in people with ADHD. The study confirms that there are structural differences in the brain of people with ADHD. However, it provides no clues as to what these differences mean, say the non-participating critics. Having fewer brains in several regions may sound bad, but it's not that easy. A diminished brain substance can sometimes be quite beneficial. In teenagers, for example, the outer cerebral cortex becomes thinner as the brain develops and intellectual capacity grows.

Further research is needed
The human brain is generally very customizable. Just because certain children have less brain volume does not mean that such children have problems with their behavior. To have a solid understanding that ADHD really comes from our brain systems and that it causes changes in how the brain works, more information is needed, say the experts. (As)