Neuroimaging of the Effects of Concerta in the Treatment of ADHD

A number of brain regions have been down to be altered in both structure and function in patients with ADHD, including prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, caudate and cerebellum. Patients with ADHD often show reduced levels of activity in the frontal and cingulate regions of brain while performing measures of inhibitory control during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). While stimulant medications robustly improve the clinical symptoms of ADHD, there are only a small number of studies examining the effects of these commonly prescribed medications on brain activity. We propose to obtain fMRI in patients with ADHD on placebo and on their individualized dose of OROS methylphenidate (Concerta). Our hypothesis is that Concerta will increase the activity of the brain in the frontal, cingulate and amygdala of the brain and that these brain changes will be associated with clinical improvement of symptoms.