Targeting working memory to modify emotional reactivity in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Antonia Kaiser*, Liesbeth Reneman, Paul J. Lucassen, Taco J. de Vries, Anouk Schrantee, Anne Marije Kaag

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Understanding the neural mechanisms of emotional reactivity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may help develop more effective treatments that target emotion dysregulation. In adult ADHD, emotion regulation problems cover a range of dimensions, including emotional reactivity (ER). One important process that could underlie an impaired ER in ADHD might be impaired working memory (WM) processing. We recently demonstrated that taxing WM prior to the exposure of emotionally salient stimuli reduced physiological and subjective reactivity to such cues in heavy drinkers, suggesting lasting effects of WM activation on ER. Here, we investigated neural mechanisms that could underlie the interaction between WM and ER in adult ADHD participants. We included 30 male ADHD participants and 30 matched controls. Participants performed a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm in which active WM-blocks were alternated with passive blocks of negative and neutral images. We demonstrated group-independent significant main effects of negative emotional images on amygdala activation, and WM-load on paracingulate gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation. Contrary to earlier reports in adolescent ADHD, no impairments were found in neural correlates of WM or ER. Moreover, taxing WM did not alter the neural correlates of ER in either ADHD or control participants. While we did find effects on the amygdala, paCG, and dlPFC activation, we did not find interactions between WM and ER, possibly due to the relatively unimpaired ADHD population and a well-matched control group. Whether targeting WM might be effective in participants with ADHD with severe ER impairments remains to be investigated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)680-691
Number of pages12
JournalBrain Imaging and Behavior
Volume16
Issue number2
Early online date15 Sept 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by Amsterdam Neuroscience [to A.M.K., A.S., P.J.L., T.J.dV., and L.R.], Amsterdam Brain & Cognition [to A.S., P.J.L., and L.R.] and Urban Mental Health Amsterdam [to P.J.L, A.S.].

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

Keywords

  • Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Emotional dysregulation
  • Emotional reactivity
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
  • Working memory

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