Breakthrough ADHD study reveals measurable, changeable brain activity in children
Baku, December 15, AZERTAC
A new study has identified a specific, measurable pattern of brain activity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder that not only distinguishes them reliably from their typically developing peers but also appears to be modifiable through a targeted, non-pharmacological intervention, according to TPS IL.
ADHD — one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children, affecting an estimated 5–10 percent of children worldwide, with symptoms often continuing into adolescence and adulthood for many individuals — is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning.
The research focuses on a form of EEG signal known as aperiodic brain activity, a background neural pattern linked to the brain’s excitation–inhibition balance and overall neural efficiency. Unlike commonly used EEG markers in ADHD research, which have produced inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results, this signal consistently differentiated children with ADHD from those without the disorder in the study.
Crucially, the researchers found that this brain activity pattern is not static. In a randomized, sham-controlled trial, a subgroup of children with ADHD showed a shift toward a more typical neural profile following an intervention combining cognitive training with non-invasive brain stimulation. Some of these neural changes persisted for weeks after the treatment ended, suggesting an alteration in underlying brain dynamics rather than a short-term effect.
“ADHD is highly heterogeneous, and many of the neural markers we’ve relied on until now don’t consistently capture that complexity,” the researchers said. “Aperiodic brain activity may provide a more sensitive and reliable window into how the ADHD brain functions.”
The study was led by Dr. Ornella Dakwar-Kawar, Prof. Mor Nahum, and Prof. Itai Berger of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California San Diego, the University of Surrey, partners in India, and industry. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal NeuroImage: Clinical.
The research followed children aged six to 12, measuring brain activity while they performed tasks requiring attention and impulse control. Children with ADHD showed elevated aperiodic EEG activity, a pattern associated with reduced neural efficiency and altered excitation–inhibition balance in the brain.
In the intervention phase, children with ADHD underwent ten sessions combining cognitive training with transcranial random noise stimulation, a painless technique that delivers mild electrical currents to targeted brain regions involved in attention and self-regulation. Children who received active stimulation showed both improved task performance and a measurable reduction in the atypical brain signal compared with those who received sham stimulation.
“This is not just about improving behavior in the moment,” the researchers said. “We’re observing changes in underlying brain dynamics that appear to move closer to typical developmental patterns.”
The findings matter because ADHD is currently diagnosed and monitored primarily through behavioral observations and reports, which can be subjective and vary across settings. While the study is preliminary, it suggests the possibility of moving beyond behavioral observations to understand the underlying brain mechanisms that drive ADHD.
One immediate application lies in the assessment of ADHD. Currently, diagnosis relies heavily on reports from parents, teachers, and clinicians, which can sometimes be inconsistent. A robust neural marker, such as the aperiodic EEG activity, could serve as a more objective measure of ADHD. Clinicians could use it to confirm diagnoses, assess symptom severity, and better distinguish ADHD from other conditions with overlapping behaviors.
Beyond diagnosis, the study suggests promising possibilities for personalized interventions and treatment monitoring. Non-pharmacological approaches, such as cognitive training combined with transcranial random noise stimulation, were shown to modify atypical brain activity in children with ADHD. Importantly, some of these changes persisted weeks after the intervention, suggesting lasting effects on neural function. In practice, this could allow clinicians to tailor interventions based on a child’s specific brain patterns and track whether treatments are producing durable changes in neural dynamics, potentially complementing or even reducing reliance on medication.
“Medication is not the only path,” the researchers said. “Targeted brain-based interventions may help rebalance neural activity in ways we can now measure objectively.”
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