Neuroimaging in Differentiating Autism and ADHD

Research question: How can neuroimaging be utilized to differentiate between autism and ADHD, particularly in cases of diagnostic overlap?

Plain-language summary

Research suggests that while neuroimaging methods like near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) show promise in identifying brain activity differences between people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD, more research is needed before these methods can be used to differentiate ADHD and ASD reliably in a clinical setting. The evidence is still limited, and current research explored specific features like inhibitory control rather than full diagnostic differentiation.

Key findings

One study found that NIRS could detect differences in prefrontal brain activity when adults with ASD and ADHD performed tasks that required inhibitory control.
These observed differences in brain activity may offer clues into the distinct neurological underpinnings of ASD and ADHD.
Currently, neuroimaging is not a standalone diagnostic tool for differentiating between autism and ADHD in clinical practice.

Studies cited (1)

Prefrontal activation during inhibitory control measured by near-infrared spectroscopy for differentiating between autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults — Ishii-Takahashi A, Takizawa R, Nishimura Y (2014, NeuroImage. Clinical, other)
DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.10.002 PMCID: PMC3842411

Based on 1 curated peer-reviewed studies (from 4 matches across PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and Europe PMC).