Connections between the middle frontal gyrus and dorso-ventral attention network associate with the development of attentional symptoms

Yanpei Wang; Leilei Ma; Jiali Wang; Yuyin Ding; Weiwei Men; Shuping Tan; Jia-Hong Gao; Shaozheng Qin; Yong He; Qi Dong; Sha Tao

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.019

Connections between the middle frontal gyrus and dorso-ventral attention network associate with the development of attentional symptoms

Biol Psychiatry. 2024 May 6:S0006-3223(24)01291-5. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.019. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yanpei Wang¹, Leilei Ma², Jiali Wang², Yuyin Ding², Weiwei Men³, Shuping Tan⁴, Jia-Hong Gao³, Shaozheng Qin², Yong He², Qi Dong², Sha Tao⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: wyp081412570@163.com.
² State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
³ Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
⁴ Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: taosha@bnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38718879
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.019

Abstract

Background: The right MFG has been proposed as a convergence site for the DAN and VAN, regulating both networks and enabling flexible modulation of attention. However, it is unclear if the connections between the right MFG and these networks can predict changes in ADHD symptoms.

Methods: This study used data from the Children School Functions and Brain Development project (n = 713, 56.2% boys). Resting-state fMRI was employed to analyze the connections of the right MFG with DAN/VAN, connectome-based predictive modeling was applied for longitudinal prediction, and ADHD PRS were used for genetic analysis.

Results: The ADHD symptoms were associated with the connections between the right MFG and DAN subregion, including the FEF, as well as the VAN subregions, namely the IPL and IFG. Furthermore, these connections of the right MFG with FEF, IPL, and IFG could significantly predict changes in ADHD symptoms over one year and mediate the prediction of ADHD symptom changes by PRS for ADHD. Finally, the validation samples confirmed that the functional connectivity between the right MFG and FEF/IPL in ADHD patients was significantly weaker than that in the typically developing controls, and this difference disappeared after medication.

Conclusions: The connection of right MFG with DAN and VAN can serve as a predictive indicator for changes in ADHD symptoms over the following year, while also mediating the prediction of ADHD symptom changes by PRS for ADHD. These findings hold promise as potential biomarkers for early identification of children at risk of developing ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; DAN and VAN; children and adolescents; genetic; right MFG.