  Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly being
diagnosed in both children and adults, but the neural mechanisms that underlie
its distinct symptoms and whether children and adults share the same mechanism
remain poorly understood. Here, we used a nested-spectral partition (NSP)
approach to study the resting-state brain functional networks of ADHD patients
(n=97) and healthy controls (HCs, n=97) across the lifespan (7-50 years).
Compared to the linear lifespan associations of brain functional segregation
and integration with age in HCs, ADHD patients have a quadratic association in
the whole brain and in most functional systems, whereas the limbic system
dominantly affected by ADHD has a linear association. Furthermore, the limbic
system better predicts hyperactivity, and the salient attention system better
predicts inattention. These predictions are shared in children and adults with
ADHD. Our findings reveal a lifespan association of brain networks with ADHD
symptoms and provide potential shared neural bases of distinct ADHD symptoms in
children and adults.
