Evidence of Altered Habenular Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in Pediatric ADHD

Abstract

Objective: The habenula is a small region in the epithalamus that contributes to the regulation of midbrain dopaminergic circuits implicated in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This investigation aims to evaluate the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the habenula in children with ADHD. Method: A total of 112 children (5-9 years; 75 ADHD, 37 healthy comparisons) completed anatomical and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Habenula regions of interest (ROIs) were identified individually on normalized T1-weighted anatomical images. Seed-based iFC analyses and group comparisons were conducted for habenula ROIs, as well as thalamic ROIs to test the specificity of habenula findings. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited reduced habenula–putamen iFC compared with healthy comparisons. Group differences in thalamic iFC showed no overlap with habenular findings. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that habenula–putamen iFC may be disrupted in children with ADHD. Further work is needed to confirm and elucidate the role of this circuit in ADHD pathophysiology.