OBJECTIVE: By means of quantitative neuroanatomic imaging the authors
assessed the hypothesis that there are structural brain abnormalities
relevant to frontal lobe circuitry in children with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: The midsagittal cross-sectional area
of the corpus callosum, divided into seven sections, was measured from
magnetic resonance images of 18 boys with ADHD and 18 carefully matched
normal boys. RESULTS: Two anterior regions, the rostrum and the rostral
body, were found to have significantly smaller areas in the ADHD group.
These areas correlated in the expected direction with teacher and parent
ratings of hyperactivity/impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS: This finding supports
theories of abnormal frontal lobe development and function in ADHD.
Abstract Teaser