Did you know that the ADHD brain may have a thinner cerebral cortex than the non-ADHD brain?

The cerebral cortex is the thin tissue that covers the cerebrum. It’s the cerebrum’s outer layer. It’s sometimes called the “gray matter” of the brain.

In an American Journal of Psychiatry editorial, Rachel G. Klein Ph.D. reviews studies regarding the structure of the ADHD brain compared to controls (non-ADHD brains). The difference in the ADHD brain’s cortical thinning is significant compared to a non-ADHD brain. In fact, there is almost no overlap between the ADHD brains and non-ADHD brains. This means that cortical thinning is seen almost exclusively in the ADHD brain. Interestingly, one study found that the more severe your ADHD symptoms are, the slower the rate of cortical thinning.

You can read the editorial and see a figure of the rate of cortical thinning here:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/168/2/111#F1

Tags: ADD, ADHD, AJP, brain, cortex, psychiatry, Research