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Language Network Morphology in Relation to Language Skills in ASD and ADHD Children
Poster Session E, Friday, October 2, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Wangari Maathai
Anna Redeł1, Hanna Górecka1, Karolina Zielińska1, Anna Banaszkiewicz1, Katarzyna Jednoróg1; 1Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are prevalent, highly co-occurent neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) associated with deficits across many domains. Both ASD and ADHD are associated with language deficits, and delays in language development are considered early markers for these conditions. A growing body of research shows differences in brain structure associated with ASD and ADHD. However, there’s little consistency between findings, in part because of the heterogenous nature of NDDs. ASD is associated with brain overgrowth (Balaum et al., 2026) and thicker cortex (Yao et al., 2024), although some studies also report decreased cortical thickness, depending on an area and developmental stage (Ong et al., 2023). ADHD has been linked to thinner cortex (Bernanke et al., 2022) and smaller surface area (Mehren et al., 2026). Due to high rates of overlap, some studies have explored neural changes associated with both ASD and ADHD and have identified some similarly impacted cortical regions, as well as distinct differences (Norbom et al., 2025; Sadat-Nejad et al., 2023). Meta-analyses highlight many discrepancies in data (Kangarani-Farahani et al., 2022; Romelse et al., 2017; Dougherty et al., 2016). Some studies on ASD children also reported altered volume and cortical thickness in language regions related specifically to the severity of language deficits on a behavioral level (Hu et al., 2025; Xiao et al., 2025; Arutiunian et al., 2023). In ADHD, alterations in IFG and orbitofrontal cortex have also been linked to language deficits (Yamashita et al., 2024). Since cognitive development is rooted in brain maturation, studying brain structure can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of behavioral deficits in children with NDDs. This study will focus on the language network to explore developmental differences potentially driving deficits in language. Participants’ (children aged 5-7 years with ASD, ADHD, and typically developing; native Polish speakers, IQ within age norms) language skills were assessed using the Language Development Test (Smoczyńska et al., 2015). During the MRI session T1- and T2-weighted images were acquired from 295 children. Images were visually inspected to exclude low quality scans. The analysis plan includes preprocessing in Qunex Suite (Ji et al., 2023) using the HCP pipeline. Cortical thickness and surface area will be compared between groups, both globally and within regions of the language network (and analogous regions in the right hemisphere). Additionally, cortical thickness and surface area will be correlated with language scores to explore which morphological features in which language regions best reflect deficits observed on a behavioral level. Preliminary results on a subsample (n = 98) have shown differences in cortical thickness in the left middle temporal gyrus (ASD group had thinner cortex than ADHD group) and right banks of the superior temporal sulcus (ASD group had thinner cortex than ADHD and typically developing group). Deficits in language are one of the common features of ASD and ADHD. Understanding the underlying neural mechanisms can bring insight into both disorders and their intertwinement, as well as pave the way for future interventions.
Topic Areas: Language Development/Acquisition, Disorders: Developmental