Longitudinal effects of adhd medication usage on neurodevelopment in adolescents from the abcd study

The National Institute of Mental Health awarded the University of Southern California $110,228 on November 1, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to investigate longitudinal effects of ADHD medication usage on neurodevelopment in adolescents.

The project analyzes three waves of data (ages 9–10, 11–12, and 13–14 years) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study cohort of 11,800 participants to identify cortical, subcortical, and white matter brain changes associated with different classes of ADHD medications, including stimulants (amphetamine versus methylphenidate) and nonstimulants. The research leverages existing mental health assessments, medication use records, neuroimaging scans, and sociodemographic and developmental data collected as part of the NIH-funded ABCD study to test hypotheses about shared and distinct longitudinal neurodevelopmental effects across medication classes.

Work is performed in California through May 7, 2030. USC's Department of Contracts and Grants serves as the recipient.

Abstract

In the united states, 6.0 million children have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), making IT the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Stimulant or nonstimulant medications for ADHD are an important first-line treatment approach, with 62% of diagnosed children prescribed at least one medication. These medications mitigate observed problems with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity associated with ADHD and are thought to "normalize" differences in brain structure as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, existing research studying MRI brain phenotypes and the corresponding impacts of ADHD medications is constrained by small, homogeneous participant samples and few longitudinal study designs. Moreover, little research has yet to directly compare the neurostructural effects of different medication classes for ADHD, including stimulants (amphetamine VS. Methylphenidate) VS. Nonstimulants. The primary goal of the project is to fill these knowledge gaps by investigating longitudinal neurodevelopment in adolescents with ADHD as well as determining the effects of different ADHD medication classes. To do so, we will leverage three waves of data (wave 1: 9-10 years; wave 2: 11-12 years; wave 3: 13-14 years) collected as part of the landmark NIH-funded adolescent brain and cognitive development℠ (ABCD) study® (N = 11,800), including mental health assessments, medication use, neuroimaging scans, as well as sociodemographic and developmental data. Accordingly, we will test our hypotheses that different classes of ADHD medications are associated with both shared and distinct longitudinal changes in brain cortical, subcortical, and white matter structures, reflecting their overlapping and unique pharmacodynamic profiles. Our specific aims include: 1) identifying cortical and subcortical gray matter features critical to ADHD and determining how medication impacts trajectories of these regions across adolescence; 2) characterizing associated white matter microarchitecture features in ADHD and how medication relates to longitudinal maturation of identified white matter pathways; and 3) exploring whether dimensionality and heterogeneity within ADHD (e.g., symptom severity, subtypes, and medication dosages) contribute to medication-associated effects within the identified brain regions. The findings of this research project may offer insight into not only how ADHD medications impact neurodevelopment but also a more refined understanding of neural mechanisms of disease and within-disorder heterogeneity. Completion of this project will be aligned with the fellowship goals of further training and education in: 1) population neuroscience and advanced biostatistical methods; 2) multi-modal neuroimaging techniques as applied to studying mental health; 3) ADHD research content and dimensional approaches to psychiatric research; 4) integrated clinical and research training, mentorship, and professional development.