Four million SEK for basic research project on ADHD and communication

For the first time researchers will use neuroimaging methods to investigate communication in ADHD. The CommAND project receives a grant of four million SEK from the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation.

Why do some people get along easily in social situations while others feel constantly misunderstood? One explanation could be differences in pragmatic ability, that is, what makes us interpret utterances beyond their literal meaning. When our guest says “It is cold here”, the literal meaning is just that the room is cold, but a pragmatically correct interpretation could be that this person suggests closing the window.

The CommAND project will study how the brain's network is engaged in communication, at different stages of adolescence. It will also test whether the maturation of these networks is delayed in ADHD. Illustration by Julia Uddén.
 

Poor social functioning may stem from deficits in communicative abilities

Adolescents with ADHD understand the literal meaning, but there are indications that they have more substantial deficits in pragmatic abilities. Individuals within this group also often have difficulties with social functioning and are less liked by their peers. Recent research suggests that poor social functioning in ADHD may stem from this type of deficits in communicative abilities. The upcoming research project CommAND therefore aims to investigate how the brain's language network develops during adolescence and whether this development is different in individuals with ADHD.

“Our hypothesis is that the brain's language network needs to develop during adolescence in order to be able to communicate at the level of an adult. This development may be delayed in youth with ADHD, and this may be what causes challenges with the social part of communication” says principal investigator Julia Uddén.

 

First project to use neuroimaging for this purpose

Using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the project will compare the brain activity of younger and older teenagers, with and without ADHD, when playing a communication game. The researchers will specifically examine how the brain reacts to plain language, compared to how it processes wrapped or hidden messages in communication. With the help of the magnetic camera, it becomes clear which of the brain's networks are involved in communication during the various phases of adolescence. Hopefully, the project will also find the answer to whether the maturation of these networks is delayed in ADHD.

The CommAND project will be the first one to use neuroimaging methods to investigate communication in ADHD. This allows the researchers to directly explore the neural mechanisms driving these behaviors, with the goal to understand the underlying causes of the deficit.

Julia Uddén:

“We expect this basic research project to deliver significant new insights for the clinical picture of ADHD, improving diagnostic accuracy as well as resulting in development of treatments of social functioning deficits in ADHD”.

Foto: Privat
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. 
  • Adolescents with ADHD often have difficulties with social functioning. Recent research suggests that this may stem from deficits in communicative abilities. 
  • The four-year research project CommAND will study how the brain's language network develops during adolescence and investigate whether this development is different in individuals with ADHD.
  • CommAnd stands for "Communication in adolescents with ADHD: investigation of Neural mechanisms and Development". The project is led by Julia Uddén and will be conducted at the Department of Linguistics and at Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre.