Five recommendations for using large-scale publicly available data to advance health among American Indian peoples: the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) StudySM as an illustrative case

Investigative Approaches to Resilient Emotion Regulation Neurodevelopment in a South African Birth Cohort

Understanding the neurobiology of resilient emotion regulation following adversities is critical for addressing mental health problems globally. However, the functional neurobiology of resilience has rarely been studied in low- and middle-income countries, which comprise 90% of the world's population and experience more consistent adversities. Here, we describe how we are investigating the neurodevelopment of resilient emotion regulation in adolescents (anticipated N = 525) from a South African birth cohort recruited from a low-income, high-adversity township. Across 2 longitudinal time points (13-14 and 15-16 years), magnetic resonance imaging, behavior, and self-report measures from adolescents and their caregivers are collected. These data are complemented by existing developmental histories (from the prenatal period to 8 years). The culturally adapted measures, protocols, and analytic plans for investigating resilient emotion regulation are presented. By characterizing neurodevelopmental correlates of adolescent resilience from an understudied low- and middle-income country, this research will provide deeper insights into mental health globally.

Responsible use of population neuroscience data: Towards standards of accountability and integrity

This editorial focuses on the issue of data misuse which is increasingly evidenced in social media as well as some premiere scientific journals. This issue is of critical importance to open science projects in general, and ABCD in particular, given the broad array of biological, behavioral and environmental information collected on this American sample of 12.000 youth and parents. ABCD data are already widely used with over 1000 publications and twice as many citations per year as expected (relative citation index based on year, field and journal). However, the adverse consequences of misuse of data, and inaccurate interpretation of emergent findings from this precedent setting study may have profound impact on disadvantaged populations and perpetuate biases and societal injustices.

Bioethical and critical consciousness in clinical translational neuroscience

Clinical translational neuroscience (CTN) is positioned to generate novel discoveries for advancing treatments for mental health disorders, but it is held back today by the siloing of bioethical considerations from critical consciousness. In this article, we suggest that bioethical and critical consciousness can be paired to intersect with structures of power within which science and clinical practice are conducted. We examine barriers to the adoption of neuroscience findings in mental health from this perspective, especially in the context of current collective attention to widespread disparities in the access to and outcomes of mental health services, lack of representation of marginalized populations in the relevant sectors of the workforce, and the importance of knowledge that draws upon multicultural perspectives. We provide 10 actionable solutions to confront these barriers in CTN research, as informed by existing frameworks such as structural competency, adaptive calibration models, and community-based participatory research. By integrating critical consciousness with bioethical considerations, we believe that practitioners will be better positioned to benefit from cutting-edge research in the biological and social sciences than in the past, alert to biases and equipped to mitigate them, and poised to shepherd in a robust generation of future translational therapies and practitioners.

Responsible research in health disparities using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) study

PURPOSE

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study is the largest longitudinal study on brain development and adolescent health in the United States. The study includes a sociodemographically diverse cohort of nearly 12,000 youth born 2005-2009, with an open science model of making data rapidly available to the scientific community. The ABCD Study® data has been used in over 1100 peer-reviewed publications since its first data release in 2018. The dataset contains a broad scope and comprehensive set of measures of youths' behavioral, health, and brain outcomes, as well as extensive contextual and environmental measures that map onto the social determinants of health (SDOH). Understanding the impact of SDOH on the developmental trajectories of youth will help to address early lifecourse health inequities that lead to disparities later in life. However, the open science model and extensive use of ABCD data highlight the need for guidance on appropriate, responsible, and equitable use of the data.

DESIGN METHODS

Our conceptual framework integrates the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework with strength-based and data equity perspectives. We use this framework to articulate best practices and methods for investigations that aim to identify the multilevel pathways by which structural and systemic inequities impact adolescent health trajectories.

RESULTS

Using our conceptual model, we provide recommendations for equitable health disparities research using ABCD Study data. We identify over fifty ABCD measures that can encompass SDOH across five levels of influence: individual, interpersonal, school, community, and societal. We expand the societal level to acknowledge structural discrimination as the root cause of systemic and structural inequities resulting in health disparities among marginalized youth. We apply the methodological recommendations in an example data analysis using a multi-level approach that integrates strength-based and data equity perspectives to elucidate pathways by which social and structural inequities may influence cognitive decision making in youth. We conclude with recommendations for strengthening the utility of ABCD data for health disparities research now and in the future.

CONCLUSION

Adolescence is a critical period of development with subsequent ramifications for health outcomes across the lifespan. Thus, understanding SDOH among diverse youth can inform prevention interventions before the emergence of health disparities in adulthood.

Racial and ethnic socioenvironmental inequity and neuroimaging in psychiatry: a brief review of the past and recommendations for the future

Neuroimaging is a major tool that holds immense translational potential for understanding psychiatric disorder phenomenology and treatment. However, although epidemiological and social research highlights the many ways inequity and representativeness influences mental health, there is a lack of consideration of how such issues may impact neuroimaging features in psychiatric research. More specifically, the potential extent to which racialized inequities may affect underlying neurobiology and impact the generalizability of neural models of disorders is unclear. The present review synthesizes research focused on understanding the potential consequences of racial/ethnic inequities relevant to neuroimaging in psychiatry. We first discuss historical and contemporary drivers of inequities that persist today. We then discuss the neurobiological consequences of these inequities as revealed through current research, and note emergent research demonstrating the impact such inequities have on our ability to use neuroimaging to understand psychiatric disease. We end with a set of recommendations and practices to move the field towards more equitable approaches that will advance our abilities to develop truly generalizable neurobiological models of psychiatric disorders.

Competing interests: digital health and indigenous data sovereignty

Digital health is increasingly promoting open health data. Although this open approach promises a number of benefits, it also leads to tensions with Indigenous data sovereignty movements led by Indigenous peoples around the world who are asserting control over the use of health data as a part of self-determination. Digital health has a role in improving access to services and delivering improved health outcomes for Indigenous communities. However, we argue that in order to be effective and ethical, it is essential that the field engages more with Indigenous peoples´ rights and interests. We discuss challenges and possible improvements for data acquisition, management, analysis, and integration as they pertain to the health of Indigenous communities around the world.

Recommendations for the responsible use and communication of race and ethnicity in neuroimaging research

The growing availability of large-population human biomedical datasets provides researchers with unique opportunities to conduct rigorous and impactful studies on brain and behavioral development, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of neurodevelopment in diverse populations. However, the patterns observed in these datasets are more likely to be influenced by upstream structural inequities (that is, structural racism), which can lead to health disparities based on race, ethnicity and social class. This paper addresses the need for guidance and self-reflection in biomedical research on conceptualizing, contextualizing and communicating issues related to race and ethnicity. We provide recommendations as a starting point for researchers to rethink race and ethnicity choices in study design, model specification, statistical analysis and communication of results, implement practices to avoid the further stigmatization of historically minoritized groups, and engage in research practices that counteract existing harmful biases.

A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function

Consistent evidence documents powerful effects of social inequality on health, well-being and academic achievement. Yet research on whether social inequality may also be linked to brain structure and function has, until recently, been rare. Here we describe three methodological approaches that can be used to study this question-single site, single study; multi-site, single study; and spatial meta-analysis. We review empirical work that, using these approaches, has observed associations between neural outcomes and structural measures of social inequality-including structural stigma, community-level prejudice, gender inequality, neighbourhood disadvantage and the generosity of the social safety net for low-income families. We evaluate the relative strengths and limitations of these approaches, discuss ethical considerations and outline directions for future research. In doing so, we advocate for a paradigm shift in cognitive neuroscience that explicitly incorporates upstream structural and contextual factors, which we argue holds promise for uncovering the neural correlates of social inequality.

Alzheimer's disease and its related dementias in US Native Americans: A major public health concern

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's related dementias (ADRD) are growing public health concerns in aged populations of all ethnic and racial groups. AD and ADRD are caused by multiple factors, such as genetic mutations, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, and lifestyle. Studies of postmortem brains have revealed multiple cellular changes implicated in AD and ADRD, including the accumulation of amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau, synaptic damage, inflammatory responses, hormonal imbalance, mitochondrial abnormalities, and neuronal loss. These changes occur in both early-onset familial and late-onset sporadic forms. Two-thirds of women and one-third of men are at life time risk for AD. A small proportion of total AD cases are caused by genetic mutations in amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and presenilin 1 genes, and the APOE4 allele is a risk factor. Tremendous research on AD/ADRD, and other comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cancer has been done on almost all ethnic groups, however, very little biomedical research done on US Native Americans. AD/ADRD prevalence is high among all ethnic groups. In addition, US Native Americans have poorer access to healthcare and medical services and are less likely to receive a diagnosis once they begin to exhibit symptoms, which presents difficulties in treating Alzheimer's and other dementias. One in five US Native American people who are 45 years of age or older report having memory issues. Further, the impact of caregivers and other healthcare aspects on US Native Americans is not yet. In the current article, we discuss the history of Native Americans of United States (US) and health disparities, occurrence, and prevalence of AD/ADRD, and shedding light on the culturally sensitive caregiving practices in US Native Americans. This article is the first to discuss biomedical research and healthcare disparities in US Native Americans with a focus on AD and ADRD, we also discuss why US Native Americans are reluctant to participate in biomedical research.