Resting-State Neurophysiological Activity Patterns in Young People with ASD, ADHD, and ASD + ADHD.
Elizabeth Shephard, Charlotte Tye, Karen L Ashwood and 4 others
PMID 28900800WHAT IT FOUND
Boys with ASD showed reduced alpha and theta brain activity, while boys with ADHD showed reduced delta activity.
Children with both conditions displayed a combination of these patterns rather than a distinct third profile. These EEG differences were not linked to specific behavioural symptoms.
Key findings
01Boys with ASD had significantly lower alpha power than boys without ASD, and this reduction was associated with higher levels of ASD symptoms.
02Boys with ADHD had significantly lower delta power than boys without ADHD, particularly in frontal and central brain regions.
03Children with co-occurring ASD and ADHD showed additive effects of both disorders (low delta, low theta, low alpha) rather than a unique neurophysiological profile.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample size was small, which limits the ability to detect subtle differences or interactions between disorders. The study included only boys, so the findings may not apply to girls with ASD or ADHD. EEG data was collected in a clinical setting, which may have influenced results due to anxiety or unfamiliarity. The lack of correlation between EEG patterns and ADHD symptoms suggests these specific resting-state markers may not reflect the behavioural difficulties clinicians see. Many participants were excluded due to movement artefacts, which is common in this population but may bias the sample towards children with better self-regulation.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Action Medical Research, The Waterloo Foundation, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Steele Charitable Trust. No specific conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these EEG profiles to diagnose or assess individual patients. The differences were observed only at a group level, showed no correlation with ADHD behavioural symptoms, and the study had a small sample size, meaning these markers are not currently clinically actionable.