To investigate the quantitative profiles of brain grey matter (GM) in pediatric drug-naïve ADHD patients using synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI). A total of 37 drug-naïve pediatric ADHD and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. Each subject underwent both SyMRI and conventional 3D T1-FSPGR scans. Quantitative parameters, T1 and T2 maps, were extracted from the SyMRI data. Between-group quantitative maps were compared using a general linear model analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the association between significantly altered MR indices and clinical measurements in ADHD. Compared with the HC group, altered T1 and T2 relaxometry times in the ADHD group were mainly distributed in GM regions of the cerebellum, attention and execution control network, default mode network, and limbic areas. Moreover, the T1 value of the right cerebellum 8 was negatively correlated with the attention concentration level in ADHD (R = 0.140, P = 0.0225). With regards to T2 map, the associations were observed between the attention level of ADHD patients and left fusiform gyrus (R = 0.251, P = 0.0016), and right cerebellum crus2 (R = 0.142, P = 0.0214). Altered T1, T2 values found in specific regions of GM, including cerebellum, attention and execution control network, default mode network, and limbic areas, may reveal widespread micromorphology changes, i.e., brain iron deficiency, low myelin content, and enlarged vascular interstitial space in ADHD patients. Thus, T1, T2 values might be promising imaging markers for future ADHD studies.

使用合成磁共振成像 (SyMRI) 研究儿科初治 ADHD 患者脑灰质 (GM) 的定量特征。本研究共招募了 37 名未用药的儿科 ADHD 和 27 名年龄和性别匹配的健康对照 (HC)。每个受试者都接受了 SyMRI 和传统的 3D T1-FSPGR 扫描。从 SyMRI 数据中提取定量参数 T1 和 T2 图。使用一般线性模型分析比较组间定量图。进行 Pearson 相关分析以评估显着改变的 MR 指数与 ADHD 临床测量之间的关联。与 HC 组相比，ADHD 组的 T1 和 T2 弛豫时间改变主要分布在小脑的 GM 区域、注意力和执行控制网络、默认模式网络、和边缘区域。此外，右侧小脑 8 的 T1 值与 ADHD 的注意力水平呈负相关（R = 0.140，P  = 0.0225）。关于T2图，观察到ADHD患者的注意力水平与左梭状回（R = 0.251，P  = 0.0016）和右小脑crus2（R = 0.142，P  = 0.0214）之间的关联。在 GM 特定区域（包括小脑、注意力和执行控制网络、默认模式网络和边缘区域）发现的 T1、T2 值改变可能揭示广泛的微形态变化，即脑缺铁、髓磷脂含量低和血管间质空间扩大在多动症患者中。因此，T1、T2 值可能是未来 ADHD 研究的有希望的成像标志物。