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Correlation between amygdala volume and impulsivity in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2015

Kazuhiro Tajima-Pozo ,
Gonzalo Ruiz-Manrique ,
Miguel Yus ,
Juan Arrazola  and
Francisco Montañes-Rada
Kazuhiro Tajima-Pozo*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain
Gonzalo Ruiz-Manrique
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain
Miguel Yus
Affiliation:
Department de Radiology, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
Juan Arrazola
Affiliation:
Department de Radiology, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
Francisco Montañes-Rada
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain
*
Kazuhiro Tajima-Pozo, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcon, Calle Budapest S/N, 28922 Madrid, Spain. Tel: +3 491 621 9978; Fax: +346219219; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurobiological disorder with childhood onset and persistence through adolescence and adulthood. ADHD patients frequently show exaggerated emotional responses. The amygdala plays an important role in emotion processing and in the activation of the frontal lobe. We hypothesised that smaller amygdala volumes in ADHD patients would be associated with less control of impulsivity and emotional instability.

Methods

We studied nine adult patients with ADHD and nine group-matched healthy volunteers using a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We manually obtained morphometric measurements, which were later processed and compared.

Results

Significant negative correlation between the right amygdala volume and Barratt’s impulsivity scores was observed (r=−0.756, p=0.018). No correlation was found between impulsivity scores and the volume of the left amygdala. Age was not found to be a contributor of the results.

Conclusions

Smaller amygdala volumes have been observed in patients with ADHD. Our results suggest that greater emotional processing and less control of impulsivity are associated with smaller amygdala volumes in ADHD patients. Furthermore, the right amygdala would play a bigger role in impulsivity and behaviour control than the left amygdala. Further studies involving larger samples of adult patients with ADHD and using multimodal designs are needed.

Keywords

amygdalaattention-deficit hyperactivity disorderbrainmagnetic resonance imagingvoxel-based morphometry
Type
Original Articles
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , December 2015 , pp. 362 - 367
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Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2015 

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