Cerebellar involvement in ADHD and autism

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are some of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders, affecting more than 7 million children worldwide. Despite this, we still only know little about the underlying causes of these disorders. Previous studies have shown that ADHD is linked to cerebellar abormalities. The aim of this project is to see if quantitative tests that measure cerebellar function can help predict if a child has ADHD or autism. If ADHD and autism are in part cerebellar disorders, these relatively simple tests could help clinicians in their neuropsychiatric evaluations. This could potentially help minimize the risk that immaturity is mistaken for ADHD.