The effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on intrinsic functional brain networks in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Xiaoli Wang; Qingjiu Cao; Jinhui Wang; Zhaomin Wu; Peng Wang; Li Sun; Taisheng Cai; Yufeng Wang

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.11.003

The effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on intrinsic functional brain networks in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Behav Res Ther. 2016 Jan:76:32-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.11.003. Epub 2015 Nov 19.

Authors

Xiaoli Wang¹, Qingjiu Cao², Jinhui Wang³, Zhaomin Wu⁴, Peng Wang⁴, Li Sun⁴, Taisheng Cai⁵, Yufeng Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Medical Psychological Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410011, China; Guangdong Provincial Corps Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province 510505, China.
² Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: caoqingjiu@bjmu.edu.cn.
³ Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
⁴ Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing 100191, China.
⁵ Medical Psychological Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410011, China. Electronic address: caitigers@sina.com.

PMID: 26629933
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.11.003

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious psychological treatment for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the neural processes underlying the benefits of CBT are not well understood. This study aims to unravel psychosocial mechanisms for treatment ADHD by exploring the effects of CBT on functional brain networks. Ten adults with ADHD were enrolled and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired before and after a 12-session CBT. Twelve age- and gender-matched healthy controls were also scanned. We constructed whole-brain functional connectivity networks using graph-theory approaches and further computed the changes of regional functional connectivity strength (rFCS) between pre- and post-CBT in ADHD for measuring the effects of CBT. The results showed that rFCS was increased in the fronto-parietal network and cerebellum, the brain regions that were most often affected by medication, in adults with ADHD following CBT. Furthermore, the enhanced functional coupling between bilateral superior parietal gyrus was positively correlated with the improvement of ADHD symptoms following CBT. Together, these findings provide evidence that CBT can selectively modulate the intrinsic network connectivity in the fronto-parietal network and cerebellum and suggest that the CBT may share common brain mechanism with the pharmacology in adults with ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; CBT; Fronto-parietal network; Graph theory; Resting-state fMRI.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Attention / physiology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / physiopathology*
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / therapy*
Brain / physiopathology*
Brain Mapping
Case-Control Studies
Cognition / physiology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / methods*
Connectome / psychology
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Membrane Potentials / physiology
Neuropsychological Tests
Young Adult