Acute administration of methylphenidate differentially affects cortical processing of emotional facial expressions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder children as studied by functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Megumi Kobayashi; Takahiro Ikeda; Tatsuya Tokuda; Yukifumi Monden; Masako Nagashima; Sakae G Mizushima; Takeshi Inoue; Keiichi Shimamura; Yuta Ujiie; Akari Arakawa; Chie Kuroiwa; Mayuko Ishijima; Yuki Kishimoto; So Kanazawa; Takanori Yamagata; Masami K Yamaguchi; Ryoichi Sakuta; Ippeita Dan

doi:10.1117/1.NPh.7.2.025003

Acute administration of methylphenidate differentially affects cortical processing of emotional facial expressions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder children as studied by functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Neurophotonics. 2020 Apr;7(2):025003. doi: 10.1117/1.NPh.7.2.025003. Epub 2020 May 6.

Authors

Megumi Kobayashi^{1

2}, Takahiro Ikeda^{2

3}, Tatsuya Tokuda^{2

4}, Yukifumi Monden^{2

3

4

5}, Masako Nagashima^{2

3}, Sakae G Mizushima^{2

4}, Takeshi Inoue^{2

6}, Keiichi Shimamura^{2

6}, Yuta Ujiie^{2

7}, Akari Arakawa^{2

6}, Chie Kuroiwa^{2

6}, Mayuko Ishijima⁸, Yuki Kishimoto⁴, So Kanazawa^{2

9}, Takanori Yamagata³, Masami K Yamaguchi^{2

10}, Ryoichi Sakuta^{2

6}, Ippeita Dan^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Developmental Disability Center, Department of Functioning and Disability, Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
² RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Jichi Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
⁴ Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ International University of Health and Welfare, Department of Pediatrics, Iguchi, Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan.
⁶ Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan.
⁷ Chuo University, Research and Development Initiative, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁸ Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
⁹ Japan Women's University, Department of Psychology, Nishi-Ikuta, Tama, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
¹⁰ Chuo University, Department of Psychology, Higashinakano, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Significance: It has been reported that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have impairment in the recognition of angry but not of happy facial expressions, and they show atypical cortical activation patterns in response to facial expressions. However, little is known about neural mechanisms underlying the impaired recognition of facial expressions in school-aged children with ADHD and the effects of acute medication on their processing of facial expressions. Aim: We aimed to investigate the possibility that acute administration of methylphenidate (MPH) affects processing of facial expressions in ADHD children. Approach: We measured the hemodynamic changes in the bilateral temporo-occipital areas of ADHD children observing the happy and angry facial expressions before and 1.5 h after MPH or placebo administration in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study. Results: We found that, regardless of medication, happy expressions induced increased oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) responses in the right inferior occipital region but not in the superior temporal region. For angry expressions, oxy-Hb responses increased after MPH administration, but not after placebo administration, in the left inferior occipital area, whereas there was no significant activation before MPH administration. Conclusions: Our results suggest that (1) ADHD children consistently recruit the right inferior occipital regions to process happy expressions and (2) MPH administration to ADHD children enhances cortical activation in the left inferior occipital regions when they process angry expressions.

Keywords: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; face processing; facial expressions; near-infrared spectroscopy; occipito-temporal area.

© The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.