The Relationship Between Inhibitory Control of Attention and fMRI Functional Connectivity in Children With and Without ADHD.

This article investigates whether the relationship between inhibitory attention and functional connectivity (FC) in the brain differs between children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Using data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, the authors analyzed resting-state fMRI FC and inhibitory attention measured by the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention test in children aged 9 to 10. Results showed significant associations between FC and both inhibitory attention and ADHD diagnosis independently, but no significant interaction between ADHD status and inhibitory attention on FC, suggesting that the neural correlates of inhibitory attention exist along a continuum regardless of ADHD diagnosis. These findings support a transdiagnostic, dimensional approach to studying inhibitory attention and its brain correlates, which may inform more personalized interventions across diagnostic categories.