{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T06:59:15Z","timestamp":1785308355311,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785283200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Hum. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Intrinsic EEG oscillations provide a non-invasive window into arousal- and attention-related individual differences, but resting low-frequency EEG correlates of adult attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) trait symptoms remain incompletely characterized in non-clinical young adults.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We analyzed eyes-closed resting-state EEG from a cohort of 337 Chinese undergraduates with usable EEG data; the primary analysis included 334 participants. ADHD trait symptoms were assessed dimensionally with a 26-item adult ADHD self-report scale. The prespecified EEG family comprised log posterior-occipital delta power, log posterior delta power, log global delta power, and frontocentral log theta\/beta ratio. The primary HC3 regression adjusted for age, sex, trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, and Beck Anxiety Inventory total score, with false-discovery-rate correction across the planned EEG family.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Higher ADHD trait symptoms were associated with lower posterior-occipital delta power [\u03b2 = 0.114, 95% CI (0.199, 0.029),\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.008]. Posterior delta, global delta, and frontocentral theta\/beta ratio showed convergent negative associations after false-discovery-rate correction. The posterior-occipital delta association remained negative and statistically significant across extended covariate models and robustness analyses. Across 64 reasonable covariate specifications, all coefficients were negative and 65.6% reached\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.05.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Adult ADHD trait symptoms were modestly associated with lower posterior-occipital and broader low-frequency resting EEG power after accounting for internalizing symptoms. The findings support a stable group-level dimensional association within this sample, but not individual-level screening, diagnostic support, risk classification, or causal inference.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1878112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T06:02:14Z","timestamp":1785304934000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Resting low-frequency EEG correlates of adult ADHD trait symptoms beyond internalizing symptoms in young adults"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Hongqin","family":"Du","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Henan Medical University","place":["Xinxiang, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaomeng","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Henan Medical University","place":["Xinxiang, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yining","family":"Kou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Education, Shanghai Normal University","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huili","family":"Xing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University","place":["Hangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ronglian","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yihan","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Provincial People's Hospital","place":["Zhengzhou, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Henan Medical University","place":["Xinxiang, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Henan Medical University","place":["Xinxiang, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Henan Medical University","place":["Xinxiang, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"871","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2020.00871","article-title":"EEG for diagnosis of adult ADHD: a systematic review with narrative analysis","volume":"11","author":"Adamou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Psych."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"671","DOI":"10.1177\/1087054712446831","article-title":"The Conners\u2019 adult ADHD rating scales\u2014short self-report and observer forms: psychometric properties of the Catalan version","volume":"18","author":"Amador-Campos","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Atten. Disord."},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsycho.2016.09.008","article-title":"Frontal EEG theta\/beta ratio as an electrophysiological marker for attentional control and its test-retest reliability","volume":"121","author":"Angelidis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biol. Psychol."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.1177\/1087054712460087","article-title":"A decade of EEG theta\/beta ratio research in ADHD: a meta-analysis","volume":"17","author":"Arns","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Atten. Disord."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/S1388-2457(02)00362-0","article-title":"A review of electrophysiology in attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder: I. Qualitative and quantitative electroencephalography","volume":"114","author":"Barry","year":"2003","journal-title":"Clin. Neurophysiol."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"893","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.56.6.893","article-title":"An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties","volume":"56","author":"Beck","year":"1988","journal-title":"J. Consult. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x","article-title":"Controlling the false discovery rate: a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing","volume":"57","author":"Benjamini","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. R. Stat. Soc. Ser. B Stat. Methodol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"150","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2010.06.009","article-title":"Predictors of persistent ADHD: an 11-year follow-up study","volume":"45","author":"Biederman","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Psychiatr. Res."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1007\/s10484-024-09649-y","article-title":"Challenging the diagnostic value of theta\/beta ratio: insights from an EEG subtyping meta-analytical approach in ADHD","volume":"50","author":"Boxum","year":"2025","journal-title":"Appl. Psychophysiol. Biofeedback"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780195301069.001.0001","volume-title":"Rhythms of the brain","author":"Buzs\u00e1ki","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1007\/s10484-018-09428-6","article-title":"The EEG theta\/beta ratio: a marker of arousal or cognitive processing capacity?","volume":"44","author":"Clarke","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl. Psychophysiol"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2019.05.048","article-title":"A better way to define and describe Morlet wavelets for time-frequency analysis","volume":"199","author":"Cohen","year":"2019","journal-title":"NeuroImage"},{"key":"ref14","volume-title":"Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS): Technical Manual","author":"Conners","year":"1999"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jneumeth.2003.10.009","article-title":"EEGLAB: an open source toolbox for analysis of single-trial EEG dynamics including independent component analysis","volume":"134","author":"Delorme","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Neurosci. Methods"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022","article-title":"The world federation of ADHD international consensus statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder","volume":"128","author":"Faraone","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1829","DOI":"10.1177\/1087054715625299","article-title":"Diagnostic accuracy of the Conners\u2019 adult ADHD rating scale in a postsecondary population","volume":"23","author":"Harrison","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Atten. Disord."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291704002892","article-title":"The World Health Organization adult ADHD self-report scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population","volume":"35","author":"Kessler","year":"2005","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"716","DOI":"10.1176\/ajp.2006.163.4.716","article-title":"The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication","volume":"163","author":"Kessler","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2095","DOI":"10.1111\/ejn.14645","article-title":"EEG spectral power, but not theta\/beta ratio, is a neuromarker for adult ADHD","volume":"51","author":"Kiiski","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1016\/S0165-0173(98)00056-3","article-title":"EEG alpha and theta oscillations reflect cognitive and memory performance: a review and analysis","volume":"29","author":"Klimesch","year":"1999","journal-title":"Brain Res."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2011.10.002","article-title":"EEG delta oscillations as a correlate of basic homeostatic and motivational processes","volume":"36","author":"Knyazev","year":"2012","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-244X-10-67","article-title":"European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD: the European network adult ADHD","volume":"10","author":"Kooij","year":"2010","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001","article-title":"Updated European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD","volume":"56","author":"Kooij","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"417","DOI":"10.1162\/089976699300016719","article-title":"Independent component analysis using an extended infomax algorithm for mixed sub-Gaussian and super-Gaussian sources","volume":"11","author":"Lee","year":"1999","journal-title":"Neural Comput."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"498","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-014-0498-0","article-title":"Use of EEG to diagnose ADHD","volume":"16","author":"Lenartowicz","year":"2014","journal-title":"Curr. Psychiatry Rep."},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpsc.2017.09.009","article-title":"Aberrant modulation of brain oscillatory activity and attentional impairment in attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder","volume":"3","author":"Lenartowicz","year":"2018","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry Cogn. Neurosci. Neuroimaging"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1007\/s13311-012-0131-z","article-title":"Clinical utility of EEG in attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder: a research update","volume":"9","author":"Loo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Neurotherapeutics"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1177\/1550059416643824","article-title":"Quantitative EEG in children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: comparison of absolute and relative power spectra and theta\/beta ratio","volume":"48","author":"Markovska-Simoska","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. EEG Neurosci."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"238","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsych.2013.07.020","article-title":"Genetic overlap between evoked frontocentral theta-band phase variability, reaction time variability, and attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a twin study","volume":"75","author":"McLoughlin","year":"2014","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2018.00521","article-title":"EEG frequency bands in psychiatric disorders: a review of resting state studies","volume":"12","author":"Newson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"482","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2011.12.041","article-title":"The quantitative EEG theta\/beta ratio in attention deficit\/hyperactivity disorder and normal controls: sensitivity, specificity, and behavioral correlates","volume":"198","author":"Ogrim","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsycho.2009.10.008","article-title":"EEG theta\/beta ratio in relation to fear-modulated response-inhibition, attentional control, and affective traits","volume":"83","author":"Putman","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biol. Psychol."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1177\/1087054715578270","article-title":"Is the theta\/beta EEG marker for ADHD inherently flawed?","volume":"22","author":"Saad","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Atten. Disord."},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.12620","article-title":"Defining ADHD symptom persistence in adulthood: optimizing sensitivity and specificity","volume":"58","author":"Sibley","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"204","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.107.048827","article-title":"Prevalence and correlates of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: meta-analysis","volume":"194","author":"Simon","year":"2009","journal-title":"Br. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"04009","DOI":"10.7189\/jogh.11.04009","article-title":"The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a global systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"11","author":"Song","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref38","volume-title":"Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory","author":"Spielberger","year":"1983"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1617307","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2025.1617307","article-title":"Executive function and neural oscillations in adults with attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review","volume":"19","author":"Su","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1330716","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1330716","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the self-report version of the strengths and weaknesses of ADHD symptoms and Normal behavior scale in a sample of Hungarian adolescents and young adults","volume":"15","author":"Vajsz","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Psych."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsycho.2018.11.003","article-title":"Frontal EEG theta\/beta ratio during mind wandering episodes","volume":"140","author":"van Son","year":"2019","journal-title":"Biol. Psychol."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1080\/13803395.2023.2246213","article-title":"Short form Conners\u2019 adult ADHD rating scales: factor structure and measurement invariance by sex in emerging adults","volume":"45","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Clin. Exp. Neuropsychol."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.9758\/cpn.23.1104","article-title":"Differences in electroencephalography power and asymmetry at frontal region in young adults with attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder: a quantitative electroencephalography study","volume":"22","author":"Yoon","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin. Psychopharmacol. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1965.01720310065008","article-title":"A self-rating depression scale","volume":"12","author":"Zung","year":"1965","journal-title":"Arch. Gen. Psychiatry"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Human Neuroscience"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1878112\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T06:02:15Z","timestamp":1785304935000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1878112\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1878112"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1878112","relation":{},"ISSN":["1662-5161"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1662-5161","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]]},"article-number":"1878112"}}