More brain differences seen between girls, boys with ADHD
Cerebellum disparities may help explain behavior contrast between the sexes
DAYDREAMER In girls, ADHD often causes inattentiveness and distractibility, rather than the disruptive behavior more often seen in boys. These behavioral differences are reflected in brain structure.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Girls and boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder don’t just behave differently. Parts of their brains look different, too. Now, researchers can add the cerebellum to that mismatch.
For boys, symptoms of the disorder tend to include poor impulse control and disruptive behavior. Girls are more likely to have difficulty staying focused on one task. Studies show that those behavioral differences are reflected in brain structure. Boys with ADHD, for example, are more likely than girls to display abnormalities in premotor and primary motor circuits, pediatric neurologist Stewart Mostofsky of Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore has reported previously.
Now, Mostofsky and colleagues have looked at the cerebellum, which plays a role in coordinating movement. He reported the new findings March 25 at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco.
Girls ages 8 to 12 with ADHD
