Functional connectivity of neural motor networks is disrupted in children with developmental coordination disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Kevin R McLeod; Lisa Marie Langevin; Bradley G Goodyear; Deborah Dewey

doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2014.03.010

Functional connectivity of neural motor networks is disrupted in children with developmental coordination disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Neuroimage Clin. 2014 Mar 26:4:566-75. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.03.010. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Kevin R McLeod¹, Lisa Marie Langevin², Bradley G Goodyear³, Deborah Dewey⁴

Affiliations

¹ Medical Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
² Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Behavioural Research Unit, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Seaman Family MR Research Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Behavioural Research Unit, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prevalent childhood disorders that frequently co-occur. Evidence from neuroimaging research suggests that children with these disorders exhibit disruptions in motor circuitry, which could account for the high rate of co-occurrence. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the functional connections of the motor network in children with DCD and/or ADHD compared to typically developing controls, with the aim of identifying common neurophysiological substrates. Resting-state fMRI was performed on seven children with DCD, 21 with ADHD, 18 with DCD + ADHD and 23 controls. Resting-state connectivity of the primary motor cortex was compared between each group and controls, using age as a co-factor. Relative to controls, children with DCD and/or ADHD exhibited similar reductions in functional connectivity between the primary motor cortex and the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, right supramarginal gyrus, angular gyri, insular cortices, amygdala, putamen, and pallidum. In addition, children with DCD and/or ADHD exhibited different age-related patterns of connectivity, compared to controls. These findings suggest that children with DCD and/or ADHD exhibit disruptions in motor circuitry, which may contribute to problems with motor functioning and attention. Our results support the existence of common neurophysiological substrates underlying both motor and attention problems.

Keywords: ADHD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; DCD, developmental coordination disorder; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition); DTI, diffusion tensor imaging; Developmental coordination disorder; FC, functional connectivity; Functional connectivity; GLM general, linear model; ICA, independent component analysis; M1, primary motor cortex; PFC, prefrontal cortex; Resting state fMRI, Motor networks; fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; rs-fMRI, resting-state fMRI.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Aging*
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / complications
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / physiopathology*
Child
Connectome / methods*
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Motor Cortex / physiopathology*
Motor Skills Disorders / complications
Motor Skills Disorders / physiopathology*
Movement
Nerve Net / physiopathology*
Neural Pathways / physiopathology
Rest