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Exploring Methylphenidate-Associated Changes in EEG-Based Brain Network Organization in Pediatric ADHD: A Pilot Study

Poster Session C - Sunday, March 8, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Claudia Xochitl Perez Ortiz¹ (), Ricardo Caraza², Javier M Antelis¹, Omar Mendoza-Montoya¹; ¹Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, ²Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnologico de Monterrey

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used to treat ADHD, a condition linked to atypical and often hyperconnected functional brain networks. While MPH can influence neural activity, few studies have applied EEG based graph theoretical methods to quantify these effects, and none have compared responses across developmental stages. This pilot study examined whether MPH alters task related functional network organization in a frequency and age dependent manner. Twenty four participants (12 ADHD, 12 controls; 13 adults, 11 children) completed two 16 channel EEG recordings during a 4-run visual oddball task: before and 90 minutes after MPH (controls did not receive medication). ERPs and P300 presence were used to assess signal quality. Functional connectivity was computed via Phase Locking Value (PLV) in the P300 window across five frequency bands. Degree, strength, and clustering coefficient were calculated globally and in posterior occipital regions. Permutation testing assessed pre/post differences. In ADHD children, significant decreases were observed after MPH in posterior occipital regions in degree (alpha, beta), strength (alpha, beta, gamma), and clustering (alpha, gamma). In contrast, adult controls showed a decrease in delta band clustering, likely reflecting non specific test–retest or attentional effects rather than medication. No significant changes were observed in ADHD adults or child controls. These results suggest MPH may reduce functional hyperconnectivity in children with ADHD during attentional processing, potentially reflecting network normalization. Lack of effects in adults may relate to reduced developmental plasticity. Graph theoretical EEG analysis appears promising for probing pharmacological network effects in ADHD, warranting larger confirmatory studies.

Topic Area: METHODS: Electrophysiology