Neuroimaging of mental disorders Òscar Vilarroya

3.- Volumetric anomalies of the caudate nucleus in paediatric ADHD: Evaluation of structural magnetic resonance as a complementary diagnostic test

Although DSM-IV-TR provides well-structured criteria for diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it is frequently very complex. Magnetic resonance (MR) has proven a decrease in the volume of the right caudate nucleus in paediatric samples. In a control-case study using a semi-automated procedure for segmenting the caudate nucleus developed by our group and ROC analysis in an extensive children-adolescent sample with ADHD, we found that the ratio between the volume of the body of the right caudate nucleus and the bilateral volume of both bodies of the caudate nuclei had a specificity of 95% for values less than or equal to 0.48 (optimal cut-off point) in the diagnosis of ADHD. The objective of the present study is to develop an automated procedure for segmenting the caudate nucleus and its implementation.