Three Distinct Brain Biotypes Identified in Children with ADHD and Anxiety Disorders

Stanford Medicine researchers have identified three distinct brain biotypes in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorder, or both. This discovery, published in Nature Mental Health, provides biological clarity for these frequently overlapping childhood mental health conditions by revealing specific functional disruptions across distinct brain networks for each biotype. The findings could complement existing symptom-based clinical evaluations and help reduce trial-and-error treatment selection by informing therapies matched to specific biotypes.