Abstract #0740

Spatial Working Memory in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Steffen Bollmann¹,², Carmen Ghisleni¹,³, Ruth L. O'Gorman¹,³, Simon S. Poil¹,³, Peter Klaver,³⁴, Lars Michels¹,⁵, Juliane Ball⁶, Dominique Eich-Hchli⁷, Ernst Martin¹,³, Daniel Brandeis⁶,⁸

¹Center for MR-Research, University Childrens Hospital, Zrich, Switzerland; ²Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zrich, Zrich , Switzerland; ³Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; ⁴Institute of Psychology, University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; ⁵Institute of Neuroradiology, University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; ⁶Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; ⁷Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; ⁸Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim/ Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany

Since working memory deficits play an important role in ADHD we developed a spatial working memory task to examine differences in brain activity between adults and children with ADHD and controls. In a fMRI study we investigated adults and children with and without ADHD to understand the underlying developmental deficits seen in ADHD. Our results suggest that the working memory networks are not yet fully developed in children and that ADHD subjects do not recruit a larger network to handle increased working memory demand, unlike control subjects.