# Alpha oscillations and working memory deficits in ADHD: A multimodal imaging investigation

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $48,338

## Abstract

Project Summary
High prevalence rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (5-11% of children 4-17 years), combined
with its high societal cost, strong persistence and pernicious effects on quality of life, warrant continued efforts
to understand its underlying neural mechanisms. Underscoring this need is the increasing recognition that ADHD
is clinically and mechanistically heterogeneous, and that this likely degrades the reliability of putative biomarkers
of ADHD. Our funded project Alpha oscillations and working memory deficits in ADHD: A multimodal imaging
investigation (R01MH116268) aims to define a robust, relatively unexplored putative biomarker of visual attention
deficits, alpha range (8-12Hz) event-related decrease (ERD), which strongly indexes working memory (WM)
deficits in ADHD. Using cutting-edge, concurrent EEG-fMRI recordings, we directly test if fluctuations in
engagement of attention mechanisms captured by the alpha ERD neurophysiological measures predict
fluctuations in WM neural processes. Using this methodology, we aim to: (a) identify neural mechanisms
underlying alpha ERD deficits and WM performance in ADHD, and (b) define the clinical features of alpha ERD
deficits in ADHD, including its effect on real life outcomes such as academic achievement. Unique to this project,
we sample participants who were previously tested in two large ADHD-EEG studies, recruiting them for a
longitudinal follow-up experimental session if they are currently in adolescence (14-20 years). By doing so we
aim to (c) characterize the developmental trajectory of attention deficits as captured by alpha ERD in ADHD, as
well its impact on the trajectory of clinical and real-life outcomes. Based on recently emerged findings we
propose to extend this research to: (i) include neural metrics of anatomical connectivity, thus testing an
alternate hypothesis that sources of alpha ERD deficits are anatomical in addition to or underlying
functional impairments; and (ii) include a young adult sample (n=90, age=21-26), thus testing two novel
hypotheses regarding the association and predictive value of alpha ERD for clinical (co-morbid
depression and suicidality) and functional (occupational and financial) outcomes. These additions will
significantly increase the impact of the mechanistic, cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment of the
project.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10156177
- **Project number:** 3R01MH116268-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Agatha Lenartowicz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $48,338
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-11-06 → 2023-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10156177

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10156177, Alpha oscillations and working memory deficits in ADHD: A multimodal imaging investigation (3R01MH116268-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10156177. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*