...
By Hannah Millington
Health Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A developmental sign in early childhood could help to flag the future likelihood of ADHD—and ensure the right support is given at the right time.
Brain wiring at this stage of life could lay the foundation for attention-related skills and hold the key to identifying young children who might go on to develop the neurodevelopmental condition.
This is the conclusion of researchers from Canada's Simon Fraser University (SFU), who examined how the brain's structure and function develop and interact during the "critical" early years.
Read More
ADHD: New Treatment Could Help Reduce Symptoms in Young People4 min read
These Foods Can Help You Focus, Nutritionists Say5 min read
Parkinson’s Disease Linked to ADHD in Large Brain Study4 min read
"Think of it like a city," said Randy McIntosh, study author and founder of SFU's Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (INN), in a statement.
"The roads are the brain's structure, and the traffic is the brain's activity. In young kids at this age, it turns out the roads matter most.
"If the roads aren't built well, traffic can't flow smoothly, and that can affect how well kids can focus, switch tasks, and ignore distractions."
...
"Genetics, prenatal factors, and early experiences may influence brain wiring," McIntosh explained to Newsweek.
"Variations in these factors could cause differences in how brain networks that support attention develop.
"In our study of typical development, we identified patterns related to attentional performance, which can serve as a baseline for future research into deviations observed in ADHD and the factors that affect them."
Building on previous research, the researchers said studying both structural and functional connectivity changes can help to explain healthy neurodevelopmental patterns and potential predictive factors of behavioral outcomes.
The study followed 39 children aged four to seven over the course of one year, using MRI scans to measure these types of connectivity in the brain. Participants performed tasks that assessed sustained attention (staying focused), selective attention (ignoring distractions) and executive attention (switching between tasks).
The research team then applied graph theory—a method involving mathematical structures often used to study social networks—to analyze how different brain regions were connected and how those connections changed over time.
They discovered that children performed worse on attention tasks when their brain networks were organized like social networks with "tight-knit friend groups", where brain regions were more connected to others in their own group and had fewer connections with regions in other groups.
"This age range, just before and during the early school years, is a critical time. It's when kids are facing new learning demands," said Leanne Rokos, study author and INN research technician, in a statement. "It's also when early interventions like behavioral therapy, school support plans, social skills training, and parent training can make a difference."
"We know that social connection supports social and emotional development which is often affected in today's current society. With more and more young children and families spending time on technology and living in their individual silos this can have detrimental impacts on these areas of development," educational psychologist Emily Crosby, who was not involved in the study, told Newsweek.
"The first three years—or 1,001 days—are the most important years for a child as this is also when a child forms an attachment style that will impact on their later attachments, even into their later romantic relationships. A child who has an anxious, insecure or avoidant attachment may be more hypervigilant which can present as attention difficulties.
"It is about supporting parents early on to provide an optimal secure attachment so a child feels safe and secure [including helping parents to work on their own childhood experiences]."
...
The researchers explained that "local clustering" and "weighted degree metrics" identified key regions where lower structural connectivity segregation was associated with better selective attention skills in older children. However in different regions—like one linked to spatial orientation—greater structural connectivity weighted degree and clustering appeared to be beneficial.
"Evidently, early childhood is an extremely dynamic period where cognitive functioning is intricately and predominantly linked to structural network features. The current findings carry numerous implications for understanding healthy development and identifying potential targets for neurodevelopmental disorders," they wrote in the paper.
The focus on brain wiring also lays the groundwork for future applications, according to the researchers, including the use of computer-based models like The Virtual Brain, a simulation platform co-developed at SFU. The tool helps researchers and clinicians model individual brain development and test potential interventions in a virtual environment.
Their goal is create personalized models of brain development and try to simulate how a child's brain is wired and how it might change over time.
"The hope is that understanding how a child's brain typically develops may allow us to identify risks early, tailor support more effectively, and offer it so that it can have the greatest impact," McIntosh explained.
"This might include behavioral support to improve problem-solving skills, self-esteem, or self-control; school plans that accommodate a child's needs; and guidance for parents."
...
"I think this study has the potential in showing how early childhood experiences can affect brain wiring which can have implications in supporting children and parents in those early years," said Crosby.
"However, the study may have some negative connotations suggesting that ADHD is something we want to stop or reduce which is not the case but more that we want to support those with ADHD in understanding themselves and finding ways to support their associated difficulties. ADHD can offer lots of positives such as hyperfocus and some of the most innovative entrepreneurs have ADHD."
In response to this, McIntosh said, "We are interested in how the brain's networks develop in early childhood and how this development might relate to different aspects of cognitive and behavioural health later on. The methods we use could, in principle, be applied to many areas. ADHD is just one example of where understanding brain development might help guide support and resources.
"The goal is not to reduce or eliminate traits, but to better understand how varied developmental paths emerge, and how we can create environments that enable every child to succeed."
Crosby also explained the genetic predisposition ADHD can have can also be exacerbated by early childhood trauma. "It is not yet clear whether someone with ADHD is more likely to be affected by trauma or whether the trauma can make it more likely for a child or adult to develop ADHD."
While MRI technology isn't yet widely accessible for routine screening, the study authors hope their work will help lead to more targeted, efficient and accessible tools for assessing brain health in children.
"These tools might include simpler, more affordable options such as computerized tests, wearable devices that track brain activity, or questionnaires designed to identify children who could benefit from further assessment," said McIntosh.
"By exploring the link between brain measurements and behavoir or other easily measurable indicators, we can use more accessible tools to evaluate children's brain health."
"We want to find the minimum amount of data needed to get a reliable picture of brain development," he added in a statement. "That way, we can bring these tools into more communities—even rural or remote ones—and support kids as early as possible."
The researchers said long-term studies with a broader age range would better clarify how brain development influences attention over time. A larger and more diverse sample would also help ensure their findings are widely applicable.
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about ADHD? Let us know via health@newsweek.com.
Correction 08/12/24, 12:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect the study found that children performed worse on attention tasks when their brains networks were organized like a tight-knit social network, not better as originally stated.
Reference
Rokos, L., Bray, S. L., Neudorf, J., Samson, A. D., Shen, K., & McIntosh, A. R. (2025). Examining Relationships between Functional and Structural Brain Network Architecture, Age, and Attention Skills in Early Childhood. eNeuro, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0430-24.2025
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines