Neurological Markers Show Attention Operates on a Shared Spectrum
According to research published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, the brain systems that help children maintain focus operate on a single shared spectrum, regardless of an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. Kelsey Harkness led an investigation at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the University of Calgary to test if children with ADHD exist along the same continuum of brain and behavior associations as children without the diagnosis. The findings show that neurological markers of attention abilities do not differ between children with and without an ADHD diagnosis.
Understanding Inhibitory Control Through Functional MRI
People possess varying levels of inhibitory control of attention, which is the cognitive skill allowing someone to focus on a specific task while tuning out background distractions. To explore this, researchers analyzed information from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development database, examining data from just over 7,000 children who were nine or ten years old, nearly 500 of whom had a current diagnosis of ADHD. According to the study, subjects completed the Flanker task—a standardized assessment determining scores based on accuracy and reaction time—while scientists analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans to measure brain activity and functional connectivity without performance pressure.
Did you know? Resting-state fMRI scans observe the brain while a person lies still and remains awake, avoiding the performance anxiety that can sometimes skew task-based imaging data inside an MRI scanner.
Divergent Brain Networks for Attention Scores and Diagnoses
The data analysis revealed independent patterns linking resting brain connectivity to both attention scores and diagnostic status. Flanker task performance correlated with connectivity in specific cortical circuits, such as visual baseline networks and sensory-motor processing regions related to mouth or hand movements. Separately, an ADHD diagnosis associated with connectivity patterns in entirely different brain regions, primarily involving ventral attention and auditory networks. When researchers compared these networks, they found no overlap, meaning different behavioral traits depend on separate neurological pathways.
Implications for Transdiagnostic Models of Mental Health
The team tested whether an ADHD diagnosis altered the relationship between a child’s attention score and their brain connectivity, and the results were not statistically significant. This lack of an interaction means the neural wiring associated with inhibitory control looks essentially identical across both groups. A child with ADHD who scores poorly on the attention test has the same related brain connectivity as a neurotypical child who scores poorly. These findings support studying fundamental cognitive traits across the entire population rather than isolating individuals into rigid diagnostic categories, aligning with transdiagnostic models of mental health. The study was authored by Kelsey Harkness, Matthias Wilms, Kate J. Godfrey, Signe Bray, and Kara Murias.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the study investigate regarding ADHD and attention?
According to the research, scientists investigated whether the neurological markers and brain connectivity of attention abilities differ between children with and without an ADHD diagnosis.
How was inhibitory control measured in the study?
Children completed the Flanker task, a standardized assessment measuring accuracy and reaction time while identifying the direction of a central arrow on a screen.
Did children with ADHD show different brain connectivity for attention scores?
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