TY - JOUR T1 - Cortical morphology as a shared neurobiological substrate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and executive functioning: a population-based pediatric neuroimaging study JF - Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience JO - J Psychiatry Neurosci SP - 103 LP - 112 DO - 10.1503/jpn.150371 VL - 42 IS - 2 AU - Sabine E. Mous AU - Tonya White AU - Ryan L. Muetzel AU - Hanan El Marroun AU - Jolien Rijlaarsdam AU - Tinca J.C. Polderman AU - Vincent W. Jaddoe AU - Frank C. Verhulst AU - Danielle Posthuma AU - Henning Tiemeier Y1 - 2017/03/01 UR - http://jpn.ca/content/42/2/103.abstract N2 - Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms have repeatedly been associated with poor cognitive functioning. Genetic studies have demonstrated a shared etiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive ability, suggesting a common underlying neurobiology of ADHD and cognition. Further, neuroimaging studies suggest that altered cortical development is related to ADHD. In a large population-based sample we investigated whether cortical morphology, as a potential neurobiological substrate, underlies the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and cognitive problems.Methods: The sample consisted of school-aged children with data on attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms, cognitive functioning and structural imaging. First, we investigated the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and different domains of cognition. Next, we identified cortical correlates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and related cognitive domains. Finally, we studied the role of cortical thickness and gyrification in the behaviour–cognition associations.Results: We included 776 children in our analyses. We found that attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms were associated specifically with problems in attention and executive functioning (EF; b = −0.041, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.07 to −0.01, p = 0.004). Cortical thickness and gyrification were associated with both attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and EF in brain regions that have been previously implicated in ADHD. This partly explained the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and EF (bindirect = −0.008, bias-corrected 95% CI −0.018 to −0.001).Limitations: The nature of our study did not allow us to draw inferences regarding temporal associations; longitudinal studies are needed for clarification.Conclusion: In a large, population-based sample of children, we identified a shared cortical morphology underlying attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and EF. ER -