ADHD Symptom Trajectories: Cortical Thinning and Hippocampal Expansion as Neural Signatures

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common neurodevelopmental condition affecting around 5% of children and adolescents world-wide. ADHD is characterized by its significant clinical heterogeneity, including different symptom courses, such as persistent, remitting, and emergent trajectories during adolescence and adulthood, which may be affected by pharmacological treatments. More importantly, the neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying heterogeneity in ADHD-symptom trajectories remain unclear, mainly due to the scarcity of longitudinal neuroimaging studies of adolescent brain development. Therefore, a critical question remains unanswered: Do current medications influence symptom trajectories and their underlying neurodevelopmental processes toward sustained remission? A deeper understanding of these neurodevelopmental processes could facilitate the prediction of future symptom development, and inform novel intervention strategies that may alter symptom courses and promote sustained remission.