Structural integrity of the anterior thalamic radiation predicts alpha oscillations and inattention during visual encoding.

Joel P Diaz-Fong, James McGough, James T McCracken, Sandra K Loo, Agatha Lenartowicz

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joel P Diaz-FongSemel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA. jpdiaz@ucla.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2108-6830

James McGoughSemel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.

James T McCrackenSemel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.

Sandra K Loo *Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.

Agatha Lenartowicz *Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.

Funding

Alpha oscillations and working memory deficits in ADHD: A multimodal imaging investigationR01MH116268 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI LENARTOWICZ, AGATHA, LOO, SANDRA K · 2019 to 2023

$3.5M

NIMH NIH HHS 5P50MH077248NIMH NIH HHS R01MH116268

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically associated with working memory deficits, which are thought to arise from impaired attentional control. Previous research has highlighted abnormalities in alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) during working memory tasks in children with ADHD, particularly attenuated event-related alpha power decreases (alpha ERD). However, the structural underpinnings of these oscillatory dynamics remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between white matter microstructure and alpha modulation during a spatial working memory task in children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) controls. EEG and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were analyzed from 115 children (ADHD n = 72; TD n = 43). We focused on three white matter tracts: the optic radiation (OR), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and the second branch of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF2). DTI analyses revealed increased mean diffusivity in the ATR and SLF2 in ADHD, indicating reduced white matter integrity. Importantly, ATR microstructure significantly predicted alpha ERD, suggesting a key role for anterior thalamic pathways in modulating neural oscillations during working memory encoding. In contrast, SLF2 and OR microstructure did not significantly influence alpha modulation. These findings support a thalamus-mediated model of alpha modulation, where disruptions in anterior thalamic microstructural integrity contribute to attentional impairments in ADHD. Understanding these structural-functional relationships may inform targeted interventions aimed at improving executive function in this population.

Indexed as

Alpha RhythmAttentionAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityThalamusChildDiffusion Tensor ImagingElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMemory, Short-TermWhite MatterADHDAlpha oscillationsDTIEEGInattention

Identifiers

PMID41714759

DOI10.1038/s41598-026-40086-5

PMCPMC13018530

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.