Ventromedial Prefrontal Volume in Adolescence Predicts Hyperactive/Inattentive Symptoms in Adulthood

Albaugh, Matthew; Ivanova, Masha; Chaarani, Bader; Orr, Catherine; Allgaier, Nicholas; Althoff, Robert; D'Alberto, Nicholas; Hudson, Kelse; Mackey, Scott; Spechler, Philip; Banaschewski, Tobias; Bokde, Arun; Bromberg, Uli; Cattrell, Anna; J.Conrod, Patricia; Gowland, Penny

Abstract

Youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology often exhibit residual inattention and/or hyperactivity in adulthood; however, this is not true for all individuals. We recently reported that dimensional, multi-informant ratings of hyperactive/inattentive symptoms are associated with ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) structure. Herein, we investigate the degree to which vmPFC structure during adolescence predicts hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology at 5-year follow-up. Structural equation modeling was used to test the extent to which adolescent vmPFC volume predicts hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology 5 years later in early adulthood. 1,104 participants (M = 14.52 yrs, SD = 0.42; 583 females) possessed hyperactive/inattentive symptom data at 5-year follow-up, as well as quality controlled neuroimaging data and complete psychometric data at baseline. Self-reports of hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology were obtained during adolescence and at 5-year follow-up using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At baseline and 5-year follow-up, a hyperactive/inattentive latent variable was derived from items on the SDQ. Baseline vmPFC volume predicted adult hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology (standardized coefficient = -.274, p < .001) while controlling for baseline hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology. These results are the first to reveal relations between adolescent brain structure and adult hyperactive/inattentive symptomatology, and suggest that early structural development of the vmPFC may be consequential for the subsequent expression of hyperactive/inattentive symptoms.

Citation

Albaugh, M., Ivanova, M., Chaarani, B., Orr, C., Allgaier, N., Althoff, R., …Gowland, P. (2019). Ventromedial Prefrontal Volume in Adolescence Predicts Hyperactive/Inattentive Symptoms in Adulthood. Cerebral Cortex, 29(5), 1866-1874. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhy066

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 26, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Apr 18, 2018
• Publication Date: May 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Feb 27, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 19, 2019
• Journal: Cerebral Cortex
• Print ISSN: 1047-3211
• Electronic ISSN: 1460-2199
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1866-1874
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhy066
• Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, neuroimaging, ventromedial prefrontal cortex
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/927012
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/29/5/1866/4975485
• Additional Information: 37 authors in total.; This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Cerebral Cortex following peer review. The version of record is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/cercor/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cercor/bhy066/4975485