There are studies that show that children with ADHD have a different brain. However, it should be noted that not all children have been studied, so it cannot be guaranteed that the brain is different in all cases.
What did the study consist of?
The study, which involved the participation of physicians and neuroscientists from 11 different countries, was carried out using magnetic resonance imaging. The study compared the brains of healthy people with the brains of more than 1,700 people diagnosed with ADHD, with the following results:
- The brain of children with ADHD is smaller in size.
- Differences in the 5 areas of the brain:
- Hippocampus: vital in special orientation sense and memory.
- Putamen: related to the control of automated movements and learning motor activities. This is why children with ADHD have problems with fine motor skills.
- Caudate nucleus: processes object-directed actions and emotions.
- Nucleus accumbens: linked to stimulus-associated reward and motivation. This is why children with ADHD need immediate gratification.
- Amygdala: key to process emotions.
What differences can be identified at the biochemical level?
Basically, in the brain of children with ADHD there is a deficit of dopamine and noradrenaline.
These substances have the function of participating in various cognitive processes such as alertness, executive function and attention. They are deficient in the brain nuclei of children with ADHD, as well as in regions of the parietal and prefrontal cortex.
Why do these differences exist?
Children with ADHD have a delayed maturation. In several cases, with development and the help of treatment, they improve, but in others they may persist into adulthood.
Currently, there is more research and several studies are being carried out:
- Genetic
- Neuroimaging
- Neurochemical
- Neuropharmacological
- Neuropsychological