Age-dependent effects of acute methylphenidate on amygdala reactivity in stimulant treatment-naive patients with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Marco A Bottelier; Anouk Schrantee; Bart Ferguson; Hyke G H Tamminga; Cheima Bouziane; J J Sandra Kooij; Michiel B de Ruiter; Liesbeth Reneman

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.09.009

Age-dependent effects of acute methylphenidate on amygdala reactivity in stimulant treatment-naive patients with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2017 Nov 30:269:36-42. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.09.009. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Authors

Marco A Bottelier¹, Anouk Schrantee², Bart Ferguson³, Hyke G H Tamminga⁴, Cheima Bouziane⁵, J J Sandra Kooij⁶, Michiel B de Ruiter⁷, Liesbeth Reneman⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Triversum, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.
² Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolph Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dutch Autism and ADHD research center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁶ PsyQ, psycho-medical programs, Expertise Center Adult ADHD, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁸ Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 28938219
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.09.009

Abstract

In the present study, we investigate whether methylphenidate (MPH) affects emotional processing and whether this effect is modulated by age. We measured amygdala reactivity with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during processing of angry and fearful facial expressions in male stimulant treatment-naive patients with ADHD (N = 35 boys; N = 46 men) and 23 healthy control subjects (N = 11 boys; N = 12 men). In ADHD patients, we also measured amygdala reactivity 90min after an acute oral challenge with MPH (0.5mg/kg). Mean amygdala reactivity was analyzed for all subjects using a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Whole-brain maps were analyzed for the patients only. At baseline, we found a age*diagnosis effect approaching significance (p = 0.05) in the right amygdala due to lower reactivity in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) vs. controls (-31%), but higher reactivity in adults with ADHD vs. controls (+31%). MPH significantly reduced right amygdala reactivity in all patients, resulting in further reductions in children. In the left amygdala, reduction of amygdala reactivity was confined to adult ADHD patients whereas there was no change in children with ADHD. MPH-induced decrease of amygdala reactivity in adults might be a promising avenue for managing emotional dysregulation when replicated for chronic MPH treatment.

Keywords: Age; Amygdala; Emotional processing; fMRI.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Age Factors
Amygdala / diagnostic imaging*
Amygdala / drug effects*
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnostic imaging*
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / drug therapy*
Brain Mapping / methods
Central Nervous System Stimulants / administration & dosage*
Child
Double-Blind Method
Emotions / drug effects
Emotions / physiology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Methylphenidate / administration & dosage*
Photic Stimulation / methods
Treatment Outcome
Young Adult

Substances

Central Nervous System Stimulants
Methylphenidate