Discussion
inattention symptoms, medication-induced, ADHD
Methylphenidate is a commonly used stimulant for treating inattention symptoms in children with ADHD. We used a novel state-space approach to investigate aberrancies in latent brain states associated with dynamics of cognitive control networks in childhood ADHD and then determined whether methylphenidate normalizes these aberrancies and improves behavioral performance on a sustained attention task. Our analysis revealed aberrant brain state dynamics, which were remediated by methylphenidate and correlated with improved attention. Methylphenidate also improved brain state-related functional connectivity and remediated hyper-connectivity in the DMN. Additionally, medication-induced changes in cross-network functional connectivity between the DMN and SN predicted medication effects on sustained attention. Our findings demonstrate that methylphenidate remediates attention problems in children with ADHD by normalizing aberrant dynamic brain mechanisms, thus advancing our understanding of the brain mechanisms associated with the effect of methylphenidate on attention.