Ching-Tai Chiang1, Chen-Sen Ouyang2, Rei-Cheng Yang3, Rong-Ching Wu4 and Lung-Chang Lin3,5*

• 1Department of Computer and Communication, National Pingtung University, Pingtung, Taiwan
• 2Department of Information Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• 3Departments of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• 4Department of Electrical Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• 5Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Abstract

Aim: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neuropsychiatric disorder that affects 6.1 million US children. The mechanism of ADHD is currently unclear. Differences in ADHD presentations between boys and girls are well-established. In the present study, we used quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the brain area and EEG bands of boys with ADHD.

Methods: This study enrolled 40 boys with ADHD and 40 age-matched controls without ADHD. Low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) and instantaneous frequency were used to analyze EEG data to reveal the mechanisms underlying ADHD in boys.

Results: We found that the instantaneous frequencies in the T3 and T4 EEG channels in boys with ADHD were significantly higher than those in the controls. The beta band showed significant difference in current density between the ADHD and control groups. In the entire brain area, the bilateral inferior and middle temporal gyrus exhibited the most significant difference between the ADHD and control groups in the EEG beta band. Connectivity analysis revealed an increase in connectivity between the left middle frontal gyrus and fusiform gyrus of the temporal lobe in boys with ADHD.

Conclusions: LORETA is a promising tool for analyzing EEG signals and can be used to investigate the mechanism of ADHD. Our results reveal that the inferior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus of the temporal lobe are potentially involved in the pathogenesis of ADHD in boys. In comparison with other imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging, EEG is easy to perform, fast, and low cost. Our study presents a new approach for investigating the pathogenesis of ADHD in boys.

Keywords: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, low-resolution electromagnetic tomography, EEG, boys, beta band