Neural Correlates of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms in Children: A Magnetoencephalography Study

TL;DR

This study explores brain activity in children with cognitive disengagement syndrome using MEG, finding links to attentional processing challenges.

Contribution

The study identifies neural correlates of cognitive disengagement syndrome in children using MEG, focusing on attentional processing.

Findings

Higher CDS symptoms correlate with increased ΔRMS in M2 and M3 during incongruent trials.

Self-reported CDS symptoms initially correlate with reduced ΔM2 power in the medial prefrontal cortex.

No significant correlation was found between CDS symptoms and alerting or orienting networks.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Despite the growing recognition of cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), previously termed sluggish cognitive tempo, as a distinct dimension of psychopathology, the neural correlates of CDS remain largely unknown. We investigated the neural correlates of CDS in children using whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG). Methods: A community-based sample of children (N = 43, ages 8–12 years) was recruited and completed self-report ratings of CDS. MEG was recorded while the children completed an adapted version of the attention network test (ANT). Results: The results indicated that higher levels of self-reported CDS symptoms were associated with larger changes in the root-mean square (ΔRMS) (incongruent—congruent trials) in M2 and M3, suggesting children with higher levels of CDS symptoms might require greater mental effort to overcome distractors during incongruent trials. The source localization analysis initially revealed a negative correlation between child self-reported CDS symptoms and ΔM2 power (incongruent—congruent trials) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), suggesting insufficient power allocation in a region critical for attentional processing. However, this association was no longer significant after controlling for ADHD status. No significant correlation was found between self-reported CDS symptoms and alerting or orienting. Conclusions: These findings provide initial evidence of the disrupted attentional processing associated with CDS in children. Further replication and extension with larger samples are warranted.

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