Contact: Jules Asher
NIMHpress@nih.gov
301-443-4536
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Composite 3-D MRI Scan Data for Youth, Ages 8-16

Caption: Children with ADHD who had the 7-repeat version of the dopamine D4 receptor gene had thinner-than-normal areas in their brain's out mantle, the cerebral cortex, which normalized during the teen years. This thickening in areas that control attention paralleled clinical improvement. Composite 3-D MRI scan data for youth, ages 8-16. Colored areas are those in which cortex thickness varied between ADHD patients and healthy controls, with brighter colors indicating greater differences.

Credit: Source: Philip Shaw, M.D., NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch

Usage Restrictions: None

Related news release: Gene predicts better outcome as cortex normalizes in teens with ADHD