ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Applied Neuroimaging
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1541589
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced fNIRS Applications in Neuroscience and Neurological DisordersView all 22 articles
Verbal Fluency Tasks and Attention Problems in Children with ADHD: Evidence from fNIRS
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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AbstractBackground: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising non-invasive neuroimaging tool for assessing cortical activity in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While Verbal Fluency Tasks (VFTs) are widely used in adolescents and adults, their application in younger children remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine cortical activation during a VFT in children with ADHD and its association with attention-related behavioral symptoms. Methods: Thirteen children with ADHD (aged 7–9) and 13 matched neurotypically developed controls completed a VFT while undergoing fNIRS. Activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was analyzed using mean amplitude, center of gravity (COG), and initial slope. Associations with the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) scores were examined. Results: Children with ADHD showed significantly lower DLPFC activation and widespread negative patterns compared to neurotypically developed peers (p < 0.05). Mean activation amplitude was significantly correlated with inattention scores on both the SNAP-IV and DSM-V scales. Discussion: fNIRS revealed altered DLPFC activation in children with ADHD during VFT, underscoring its potential as an objective tool to support clinical assessment of attention deficits in younger populations.
Keywords: ADHD, fNIRS, VFT, Attention, Children
Received: 08 Dec 2024; Accepted: 23 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bian, Ma, Wang and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaodan Yu, Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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