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Quantification of myelination in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a comparative assessment with synthetic MRI and DTI

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Abstract

Evaluation of myelin content is crucial for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To estimate myelin content in ADHD based on synthetic MRI–based method and compare it with established diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) method. Fifth-nine ADHD and fifty typically developing (TD) children were recruited. Global and regional myelin content (myelin volume fraction [MVF] and myelin volume [MYV]) were assessed using SyMRI and compared with DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy and mean/radial/axial diffusivity). The relationship between significant MRI parameters and clinical variables were assessed in ADHD. No between-group differences of whole-brain myelin content were found. Compared to TDs, ADHD showed higher mean MVF in bilateral internal capsule, external capsule, corona radiata, and corpus callosum, as well as in left tapetum, left superior fronto-occipital fascicular, and right cingulum (all PFDR-corrected < 0.05). Increased MYV were found in similar regions. Abnormalities of DTI metrics were mainly in bilateral corticospinal tract. Besides, MVF in right retro lenticular part of internal capsule was negatively correlated with cancellation test scores (r = – 0.41, P = 0.002), and MYV in right posterior limb of internal capsule (r = 0.377, P = 0.040) and left superior corona radiata (r = 0.375, P = 0.041) were positively correlated with cancellation test scores in ADHD. Increased myelin content underscored the important pathway of frontostriatal tract, posterior thalamic radiation, and corpus callosum underlying ADHD, which reinforced the insights into myelin quantification and its potential role in pathophysiological mechanism and disease diagnosis. Prospectively registered trials number: ChiCTR2100048109; date: 2021–07.

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Data availability

Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

Abbreviations

ADHD:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

SyMRI:

Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging

DTI:

Diffusion tensor imaging

TD:

Typically developing

MVF:

Myelin volume fraction

MYV:

Myelin volume

WM:

White matter

CC:

Corpus callosum

CG:

Cingulum

FA:

Fractional anisotropy

MD:

Mean diffusivity

RD:

Radiate diffusivity

AD:

Axial diffusivity

PD:

Proton density

PLIC:

Posterior limb of internal capsule

RLIC:

Retro lenticular part of internal capsule

ACR:

Anterior corona radiate

SCR:

Superior corona radiate

EC:

External capsule

ALIC:

Anterior limb of internal capsule

GCC:

Genu of corpus callosum

SFOF:

Superior fronto-occipital fascicular

CST:

Corticospinal tract

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants and their families and the staff at the MRI at our center for all their help and support.

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Fund Youth Science Fund Project of China [grant number 82001439] and the Natural Science Fund Project of Guangdong Province [grant numbers 2022A1515011910].

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Author notes

  1. Liping Lin, Yingqian Chen and Yan Dai are contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Liping Lin, Yingqian Chen, Yan Dai, Zi Yan, Mengsha Zou, Qin Zhou, Zhiyun Yang & Shu Su

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Long Qian & Wei Cui

  3. Department of Pediatric, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Meina Liu & Hongyu Zhang

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  1. Liping Lin
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Contributions

Liping Lin, Yingqian Chen, Yan Dai, Zhiyun Yang, and Shu Su wrote the main manuscript text and Zi Yan, Mengsha Zou, Qin Zhou, Long Qian, and Wei Cui prepared figures 1-4. Meina Liu and Hongyu Zhang prepared table 1-2. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zhiyun Yang or Shu Su.

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Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the institutional review board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University (No. [2019]328). Written informed consent was obtained from the guardians of all the subjects and their guardians in this study.

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Lin, L., Chen, Y., Dai, Y. et al. Quantification of myelination in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a comparative assessment with synthetic MRI and DTI. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02297-3

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