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Baranyi G, Buchanan CR, Conole ELS, Backhouse EV, Maniega SM, Valdés Hernández MDC, Bastin ME, Wardlaw J, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Pearce J. Life-course neighbourhood deprivation and brain structure in older adults: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02591-9. [PMID: 38773266 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Neighbourhood disadvantage may be associated with brain health but the importance of exposure at different stages of the life course is poorly understood. Utilising the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, we explored the relationship between residential neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood, and global and local neuroimaging measures at age 73. A total of 689 participants had at least one valid brain measures (53% male); to maximise the sample size structural equation models with full information maximum likelihood were conducted. Residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in mid- to late adulthood was associated with smaller total brain (β = -0.06; SE = 0.02; sample size[N] = 658; number of pairwise complete observations[n]=390), grey matter (β = -0.11; SE = 0.03; N = 658; n = 390), and normal-appearing white matter volumes (β = -0.07; SE = 0.03; N = 658; n = 390), thinner cortex (β = -0.14; SE = 0.06; N = 636; n = 379), and lower general white matter fractional anisotropy (β = -0.19; SE = 0.06; N = 665; n = 388). We also found some evidence on the accumulating impact of neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood on age 73 total brain (β = -0.06; SE = 0.02; N = 658; n = 276) and grey matter volumes (β = -0.10; SE = 0.04; N = 658; n = 276). Local analysis identified affected focal cortical areas and specific white matter tracts. Among individuals belonging to lower social classes, the brain-neighbourhood associations were particularly strong, with the impact of neighbourhood deprivation on total brain and grey matter volumes, and general white matter fractional anisotropy accumulating across the life course. Our findings suggest that living in deprived neighbourhoods across the life course, but especially in mid- to late adulthood, is associated with adverse brain morphologies, with lower social class amplifying the vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Colin R Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eleanor L S Conole
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellen V Backhouse
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - María Del C Valdés Hernández
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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2
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Westerman HB, Suarez GL, Richmond-Rakerd LS, Nusslock R, Klump KL, Burt SA, Hyde LW. Exposure to community violence as a mechanism linking neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and neural responses to reward. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae029. [PMID: 38619118 PMCID: PMC11079326 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
A growing literature links socioeconomic disadvantage and adversity to brain function, including disruptions in reward processing. Less research has examined exposure to community violence (ECV) as a specific adversity related to differences in reward-related brain activation, despite the prevalence of community violence exposure for those living in disadvantaged contexts. The current study tested whether ECV was associated with reward-related ventral striatum (VS) activation after accounting for familial factors associated with differences in reward-related activation (e.g. parenting and family income). Moreover, we tested whether ECV is a mechanism linking socioeconomic disadvantage to reward-related activation in the VS. We utilized data from 444 adolescent twins sampled from birth records and residing in neighborhoods with above-average levels of poverty. ECV was associated with greater reward-related VS activation, and the association remained after accounting for family-level markers of disadvantage. We identified an indirect pathway in which socioeconomic disadvantage predicted greater reward-related activation via greater ECV, over and above family-level adversity. These findings highlight the unique impact of community violence exposure on reward processing and provide a mechanism through which socioeconomic disadvantage may shape brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi B Westerman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gabriela L Suarez
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - S Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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3
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Oliver D, Chesney E, Cullen AE, Davies C, Englund A, Gifford G, Kerins S, Lalousis PA, Logeswaran Y, Merritt K, Zahid U, Crossley NA, McCutcheon RA, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P. Exploring causal mechanisms of psychosis risk. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105699. [PMID: 38710421 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Robust epidemiological evidence of risk and protective factors for psychosis is essential to inform preventive interventions. Previous evidence syntheses have classified these risk and protective factors according to their strength of association with psychosis. In this critical review we appraise the distinct and overlapping mechanisms of 25 key environmental risk factors for psychosis, and link these to mechanistic pathways that may contribute to neurochemical alterations hypothesised to underlie psychotic symptoms. We then discuss the implications of our findings for future research, specifically considering interactions between factors, exploring universal and subgroup-specific factors, improving understanding of temporality and risk dynamics, standardising operationalisation and measurement of risk and protective factors, and developing preventive interventions targeting risk and protective factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK; OPEN Early Detection Service, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Edward Chesney
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Alexis E Cullen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Cathy Davies
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amir Englund
- Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - George Gifford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Kerins
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paris Alexandros Lalousis
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Yanakan Logeswaran
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Merritt
- Division of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, UCL, London, UK
| | - Uzma Zahid
- Department of Psychology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolas A Crossley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
| | - Robert A McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK; OPEN Early Detection Service, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London SE11 5DL, UK
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Buthmann JL, Uy JP, Miller JG, Yuan JP, Coury SM, Ho TC, Gotlib IH. Neighborhood disadvantage and parenting predict longitudinal clustering of uncinate fasciculus microstructural integrity and clinical symptomatology in adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101368. [PMID: 38547783 PMCID: PMC11056613 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Parenting behaviors and neighborhood environment influence the development of adolescents' brains and behaviors. Simultaneous trajectories of brain and behavior, however, are understudied, especially in these environmental contexts. In this four-wave study spanning 9-18 years of age (N=224 at baseline, N=138 at final assessment) we used longitudinal k-means clustering to identify clusters of participants with distinct trajectories of uncinate fasciculus (UF) fractional anisotropy (FA) and anxiety symptoms; we examined behavioral outcomes and identified environmental factors that predicted cluster membership. We identified three clusters of participants: 1) high UF FA and low symptoms ("low-risk"); 2) low UF FA and high symptoms ("high-risk"); and 3) low UF FA and low symptoms ("resilient"). Adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to be in the resilient than high-risk cluster if they also experienced maternal warmth. Thus, neighborhood disadvantage may confer neural risk for psychopathology that can be buffered by maternal warmth, highlighting the importance of considering multiple environmental influences in understanding emotional and neural development in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - J P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - J P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - S M Coury
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - I H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
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5
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Gotlib IH, Buthmann JL, Uy JP. The growing interdisciplinarity of developmental psychopathology: Implications for science and training. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38516854 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The field of developmental psychopathology has grown exponentially over the past decades, and has become increasingly multifaceted. The initial focus on understanding abnormal child psychology has broadened to the study of the origins of psychopathology, with the goals of preventing and alleviating disorder and promoting healthy development. In this paper, we discuss how technological advances and global events have expanded the questions that researchers in developmental psychopathology can address. We do so by describing a longitudinal study that we have been conducting for the past dozen years. We originally planned to examine the effects of early adversity on trajectories of brain development, endocrine function, and depressive symptoms across puberty; it has since become an interdisciplinary study encompassing diverse domains like inflammation, sleep, biological aging, the environment, and child functioning post-pandemic, that we believe will advance our understanding of neurobehavioral development. This increase in the breadth in our study emerged from an expansion of the field; we encourage researchers to embrace these dynamic changes. In this context, we discuss challenges, opportunities, and institutional changes related to the growing interdisciplinarity of the field with respect to training the next generation of investigators to mitigate the burden of mental illness in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jessica P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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6
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Hyde LW, Bezek JL, Michael C. The future of neuroscience in developmental psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38444150 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Developmental psychopathology started as an intersection of fields and is now a field itself. As we contemplate the future of this field, we consider the ways in which a newer, interdisciplinary field - human developmental neuroscience - can inform, and be informed by, developmental psychopathology. To do so, we outline principles of developmental psychopathology and how they are and/or can be implemented in developmental neuroscience. In turn, we highlight how the collaboration between these fields can lead to richer models and more impactful translation. In doing so, we describe the ways in which models from developmental psychopathology can enrich developmental neuroscience and future directions for developmental psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jessica L Bezek
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Cleanthis Michael
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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7
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Park J, Lee E, Cho G, Hwang H, Kim BG, Kim G, Joo YY, Cha J. Gene-environment pathways to cognitive intelligence and psychotic-like experiences in children. eLife 2024; 12:RP88117. [PMID: 38441539 PMCID: PMC10942586 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In children, psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are related to risk of psychosis, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. Maladaptive cognitive functioning, influenced by genetic and environmental factors, is hypothesized to mediate the relationship between these factors and childhood PLEs. Using large-scale longitudinal data, we tested the relationships of genetic and environmental factors (such as familial and neighborhood environment) with cognitive intelligence and their relationships with current and future PLEs in children. We leveraged large-scale multimodal data of 6,602 children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. Linear mixed model and a novel structural equation modeling (SEM) method that allows estimation of both components and factors were used to estimate the joint effects of cognitive phenotypes polygenic scores (PGSs), familial and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and supportive environment on NIH Toolbox cognitive intelligence and PLEs. We adjusted for ethnicity (genetically defined), schizophrenia PGS, and additionally unobserved confounders (using computational confound modeling). Our findings indicate that lower cognitive intelligence and higher PLEs are significantly associated with lower PGSs for cognitive phenotypes, lower familial SES, lower neighborhood SES, and less supportive environments. Specifically, cognitive intelligence mediates the effects of these factors on PLEs, with supportive parenting and positive school environments showing the strongest impact on reducing PLEs. This study underscores the influence of genetic and environmental factors on PLEs through their effects on cognitive intelligence. Our findings have policy implications in that improving school and family environments and promoting local economic development may enhance cognitive and mental health in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghoon Park
- Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence, College of Engineering, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Eunji Lee
- Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Gyeongcheol Cho
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
| | - Heungsun Hwang
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
| | - Bo-Gyeom Kim
- Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Gakyung Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Yoonjung Yoonie Joo
- Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Samsung Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jiook Cha
- Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence, College of Engineering, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
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8
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Hatzenbuehler ML, McLaughlin KA, Weissman DG, Cikara M. A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:20-31. [PMID: 38172629 PMCID: PMC11112523 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01774-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Kulla A, Coury S, Garcia JM, Teresi GI, Sisk LM, Hansen M, Miller JG, Gotlib IH, Ho TC. Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and White Matter Microstructure of the Arcuate Fasciculus and Uncinate Fasciculus in Adolescents. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:61-72. [PMID: 38076598 PMCID: PMC10709004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Neighborhood- or area-level socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with neural alterations across the life span. However, few studies have examined the effects of neighborhood disadvantage on white matter microstructure during adolescence, an important period of development that coincides with increased risk for psychopathology. Methods In 200 adolescents (ages 13-20 years; 54.5% female, 4% nonbinary) recruited from 2 studies enriched for early adversity and depression, we examined whether neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage derived from census tract data was related to white matter microstructure in several major white matter tracts. We also examined whether depressive symptoms and sex moderated these associations. Results Greater neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left arcuate fasciculus (β = -0.24, false discovery rate [FDR]-corrected p = .035) and right uncinate fasciculus (β = -0.32, FDR-corrected p = .002) above and beyond the effects of family-level socioeconomic status. Depressive symptoms significantly moderated the association between left arcuate fasciculus FA and both neighborhood (β = 0.17, FDR-corrected p = .026) and unemployment (β = 0.22, FDR-corrected p = .004) disadvantage such that these associations were only significant in adolescents who reported less severe depression. Sex did not moderate the association between socioeconomic disadvantage and FA in these tracts. Conclusions Greater neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, particularly poverty and educational attainment levels, was associated with lower FA in the arcuate fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus above and beyond the effects of family-level measures of socioeconomic status. These patterns were only observed in adolescents with low levels of depression, suggesting that we must be cautious about generalizing these findings to youths who struggle with mental health difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artenisa Kulla
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Saché Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Jordan M. Garcia
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Giana I. Teresi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Lucinda M. Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Melissa Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jonas G. Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Tiffany C. Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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10
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Reiner A, Bakulski KM, Fisher JD, Dou JF, Schneper L, Mitchell C, Notterman DA, Zawistowski M, Ware EB. Sex-specific DNA methylation in saliva from the multi-ethnic Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2222244. [PMID: 37300819 PMCID: PMC10259311 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2222244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and severity of many diseases differs by sex, potentially due to sex-specific patterns in DNA methylation. Autosomal sex-specific differences in DNA methylation have been observed in cord blood and placental tissue but are not well studied in saliva or in diverse populations. We sought to characterize sex-specific DNA methylation on autosomal chromosomes in saliva samples from children in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a multi-ethnic prospective birth cohort containing an oversampling of Black, Hispanic and low-income families. DNA methylation from saliva samples was analysed on 796 children (50.6% male) at both ages 9 and 15 with DNA methylation measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450k array. An epigenome-wide association analysis of the age 9 samples identified 8,430 sex-differentiated autosomal DNA methylation sites (P < 2.4 × 10-7), of which 76.2% had higher DNA methylation in female children. The strongest sex-difference was in the cg26921482 probe, in the AMDHD2 gene, with 30.6% higher DNA methylation in female compared to male children (P < 1 × 10-300). Treating the age 15 samples as an internal replication set, we observed highly consistent results between the ages 9 and 15 measurements, indicating stable and replicable sex-differentiation. Further, we directly compared our results to previously published DNA methylation sex differences in both cord blood and saliva and again found strong consistency. Our findings support widespread and robust sex-differential DNA methylation across age, human tissues, and populations. These findings help inform our understanding of potential biological processes contributing to sex differences in human physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Reiner
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kelly M Bakulski
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonah D Fisher
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John F Dou
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lisa Schneper
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel A Notterman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Matthew Zawistowski
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Erin B Ware
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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11
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Michael C, Tillem S, Sripada CS, Burt SA, Klump KL, Hyde LW. Neighborhood poverty during childhood prospectively predicts adolescent functional brain network architecture. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101316. [PMID: 37857040 PMCID: PMC10587714 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Family poverty has been associated with altered brain structure, function, and connectivity in youth. However, few studies have examined how disadvantage within the broader neighborhood may influence functional brain network organization. The present study leveraged a longitudinal community sample of 538 twins living in low-income neighborhoods to evaluate the prospective association between exposure to neighborhood poverty during childhood (6-10 y) with functional network architecture during adolescence (8-19 y). Using resting-state and task-based fMRI, we generated two latent measures that captured intrinsic brain organization across the whole-brain and network levels - network segregation and network segregation-integration balance. While age was positively associated with network segregation and network balance overall across the sample, these associations were moderated by exposure to neighborhood poverty. Specifically, these positive associations were observed only in youth from more, but not less, disadvantaged neighborhoods. Moreover, greater exposure to neighborhood poverty predicted reduced network segregation and network balance in early, but not middle or late, adolescence. These effects were detected both across the whole-brain system as well as specific functional networks, including fronto-parietal, default mode, salience, and subcortical systems. These findings indicate that where children live may exert long-reaching effects on the organization and development of the adolescent brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleanthis Michael
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Scott Tillem
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chandra S Sripada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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12
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Michael C, Taxali A, Angstadt M, Kardan O, Weigard A, Molloy MF, McCurry KL, Hyde LW, Heitzeg MM, Sripada C. Socioeconomic resources in youth are linked to divergent patterns of network integration and segregation across the brain's transmodal axis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.08.565517. [PMID: 38014302 PMCID: PMC10680554 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.565517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic resources (SER) calibrate the developing brain to the current context, which can confer or attenuate risk for psychopathology across the lifespan. Recent multivariate work indicates that SER levels powerfully influence intrinsic functional connectivity patterns across the entire brain. Nevertheless, the neurobiological meaning of these widespread alterations remains poorly understood, despite its translational promise for early risk identification, targeted intervention, and policy reform. In the present study, we leverage the resources of graph theory to precisely characterize multivariate and univariate associations between household SER and the functional integration and segregation (i.e., participation coefficient, within-module degree) of brain regions across major cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor systems during the resting state in 5,821 youth (ages 9-10 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. First, we establish that decomposing the brain into profiles of integration and segregation captures more than half of the multivariate association between SER and functional connectivity with greater parsimony (100-fold reduction in number of features) and interpretability. Second, we show that the topological effects of SER are not uniform across the brain; rather, higher SER levels are related to greater integration of somatomotor and subcortical systems, but greater segregation of default mode, orbitofrontal, and cerebellar systems. Finally, we demonstrate that the effects of SER are spatially patterned along the unimodal-transmodal gradient of brain organization. These findings provide critical interpretive context for the established and widespread effects of SER on brain organization, indicating that SER levels differentially configure the intrinsic functional architecture of developing unimodal and transmodal systems. This study highlights both sensorimotor and higher-order networks that may serve as neural markers of environmental stress and opportunity, and which may guide efforts to scaffold healthy neurobehavioral development among disadvantaged communities of youth.
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Zhang L, Rakesh D, Cropley V, Whittle S. Neurobiological correlates of resilience during childhood and adolescence - A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 105:102333. [PMID: 37690325 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Research examining the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience has grown rapidly over the past decade. However, there is vast heterogeneity in research study design, methods, and in how resilience is operationalized, making it difficult to gauge what we currently know about resilience biomarkers. This preregistered systematic review aimed to review and synthesize the extant literature to identify neurobiological correlates of resilience to adversity during childhood and adolescence. Literature searches on MEDLINE and PsycINFO yielded 3834 studies and a total of 49 studies were included in the final review. Findings were synthesized based on how resilience was conceptualized (e.g., absence of psychopathology, trait resilience), and where relevant, the type of outcome examined (e.g., internalizing symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder). Our synthesis showed that findings were generally mixed. Nevertheless, some consistent findings suggest that resilience neural mechanisms may involve prefrontal and subcortical regions structure/activity, as well as connectivity between these regions. Given substantial heterogeneity in the definition and operationalization of resilience, more methodological consistency across studies is required for advancing knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Divyangana Rakesh
- Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, MA, USA
| | - Vanessa Cropley
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Thomas M, Rakesh D, Whittle S, Sheridan M, Upthegrove R, Cropley V. The neural, stress hormone and inflammatory correlates of childhood deprivation and threat in psychosis: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 157:106371. [PMID: 37651860 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Childhood adversity increases the risk of developing psychosis, but the biological mechanisms involved are unknown. Disaggregating early adverse experiences into core dimensions of deprivation and threat may help to elucidate these mechanisms. We therefore systematically searched the literature investigating associations between deprivation and threat, and neural, immune and stress hormone systems in individuals on the psychosis spectrum. Our search yielded 74 articles, from which we extracted and synthesized relevant findings. While study designs were heterogeneous and findings inconsistent, some trends emerged. In psychosis, deprivation tended to correlate with lower global cortical volume, and some evidence supported threat-related variation in prefrontal cortex morphology. Greater threat exposure was also associated with higher C-reactive protein, and higher and lower cortisol measures. When examined, associations in controls were less evident. Overall, findings indicate that deprivation and threat may associate with partially distinct biological mechanisms in the psychosis spectrum, and that associations may be stronger than in controls. Dimensional approaches may help disentangle the biological correlates of childhood adversity in psychosis, but more studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Thomas
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Australia.
| | - Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Australia; Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Australia
| | - Margaret Sheridan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, United States
| | - Rachel Upthegrove
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Early Intervention Service, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Cropley
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Australia
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Mckinnon K, Galdi P, Blesa-Cábez M, Sullivan G, Vaher K, Corrigan A, Hall J, Jiménez-Sánchez L, Thrippleton M, Bastin ME, Quigley AJ, Valavani E, Tsanas A, Richardson H, Boardman JP. Association of Preterm Birth and Socioeconomic Status With Neonatal Brain Structure. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2316067. [PMID: 37256618 PMCID: PMC10233421 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Preterm birth and socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with brain structure in childhood, but the relative contributions of each during the neonatal period are unknown. Objective To investigate associations of birth gestational age (GA) and SES with neonatal brain morphology by testing 3 hypotheses: GA and SES are associated with brain morphology; associations between SES and brain morphology vary with GA; and associations between SES and brain structure and morphology depend on how SES is operationalized. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study recruited participants from November 2016 to September 2021 at a single center in the United Kingdom. Participants were 170 extremely and very preterm infants and 91 full-term or near-term infants. Exclusion criteria were major congenital malformation, chromosomal abnormality, congenital infection, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, hemorrhagic parenchymal infarction, and posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation. Exposures Birth GA and SES, operationalized at the neighborhood level (using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation), the family level (using parental education and occupation), and subjectively (World Health Organization Quality of Life measure). Main Outcomes and Measures Brain volume (85 parcels) and 5 whole-brain cortical morphology measures (gyrification index, thickness, sulcal depth, curvature, surface area) at term-equivalent age (median [range] age, 40 weeks, 5 days [36 weeks, 2 days to 45 weeks, 6 days] and 42 weeks [38 weeks, 2 days to 46 weeks, 1 day] for preterm and full-term infants, respectively). Results Participants were 170 extremely and very preterm infants (95 [55.9%] male; 4 of 166 [2.4%] Asian, 145 of 166 [87.3%] White) and 91 full-term or near-term infants (50 [54.9%] male; 3 of 86 [3.5%] Asian, 78 of 86 [90.7%] White infants) with median (range) birth GAs of 30 weeks, 0 days (22 weeks, 1 day, to 32 weeks, 6 days) and 39 weeks, 4 days (36 weeks, 3 days, to 42 weeks, 1 day), respectively. In fully adjusted models, birth GA was associated with a higher proportion of brain volumes (27 of 85 parcels [31.8%]; β range, -0.20 to 0.24) than neighborhood-level SES (1 of 85 parcels [1.2%]; β = 0.17 [95% CI, -0.16 to 0.50]) or family-level SES (maternal education: 4 of 85 parcels [4.7%]; β range, 0.09 to 0.15; maternal occupation: 1 of 85 parcels [1.2%]; β = 0.06 [95% CI, 0.02 to 0.11] respectively). There were interactions between GA and both family-level and subjective SES measures on regional brain volumes. Birth GA was associated with cortical surface area (β = 0.10 [95% CI, 0.02 to 0.18]) and gyrification index (β = 0.16 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.25]); no SES measure was associated with cortical measures. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of UK infants, birth GA and SES were associated with neonatal brain morphology, but low GA had more widely distributed associations with neonatal brain structure than SES. Further work is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association of both GA and SES with early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Mckinnon
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paola Galdi
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Blesa-Cábez
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Sullivan
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kadi Vaher
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Corrigan
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jill Hall
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michael Thrippleton
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alan J. Quigley
- Department of Radiology, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Evdoxia Valavani
- Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Athanasios Tsanas
- Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hilary Richardson
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James P. Boardman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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16
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Baranyi G, Buchanan CR, Conole EL, Backhouse EV, Maniega SM, Hernandez MV, Bastin ME, Wardlaw J, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Pearce J. Life-course neighbourhood deprivation and brain structure in older adults: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.13.23288523. [PMID: 37131666 PMCID: PMC10153312 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.13.23288523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Neighbourhood disadvantage may be associated with brain health but the importance at different stages of the life course is poorly understood. Utilizing the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, we explored the relationship between residential neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood, and global and regional neuroimaging measures at age 73. We found that residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in mid- to late adulthood was associated with smaller total brain (β=-0.06; SE=0.02; n=390) and grey matter volume (β=-0.11; SE=0.03; n=390), thinner cortex (β=-0.15; SE=0.06; n=379), and lower general white matter fractional anisotropy (β=-0.19; SE=0.06; n=388). Regional analysis identified affected focal cortical areas and specific white matter tracts. Among individuals belonging to lower occupational social classes, the brain-neighbourhood associations were stronger, with the impact of neighbourhood deprivation accumulating across the life course. Our findings suggest that living in deprived neighbourhoods is associated with adverse brain morphologies, with occupational social class adding to the vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin R. Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eleanor L.S. Conole
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellen V. Backhouse
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Maria Valdes Hernandez
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Ian J. Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R. Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Jorgensen NA, Muscatell KA, McCormick EM, Prinstein MJ, Lindquist KA, Telzer EH. Neighborhood disadvantage, race/ethnicity and neural sensitivity to social threat and reward among adolescents. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:6731858. [PMID: 36178870 PMCID: PMC9949505 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiences within one's social environment shape neural sensitivity to threatening and rewarding social cues. However, in racialized societies like the USA, youth from minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds can have different experiences and perceptions within neighborhoods that share similar characteristics. The current study examined how neighborhood disadvantage intersects with racial/ethnic background in relation to neural sensitivity to social cues. A racially diverse (59 Hispanic/Latine, 48 White, 37 Black/African American, 15 multi-racial and 6 other) and primarily low to middle socioeconomic status sample of 165 adolescents (88 female; Mage = 12.89) completed a social incentive delay task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We tested for differences in the association between neighborhood disadvantage and neural responses to social threat and reward cues across racial/ethnic groups. For threat processing, compared to White youth, neighborhood disadvantage was related to greater neural activation in regions involved in salience detection (e.g. anterior cingulate cortex) for Black youth and regions involved in mentalizing (e.g. temporoparietal junction) for Latine youth. For reward processing, neighborhood disadvantage was related to greater brain activation in reward, salience and mentalizing regions for Black youth only. This study offers a novel exploration of diversity within adolescent neural development and important insights into our understanding of how social environments may 'get under the skull' differentially across racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Jorgensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-3270, USA
| | - Keely A Muscatell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-3270, USA
| | - Ethan M McCormick
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, RB Leiden 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Mitchell J Prinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-3270, USA
| | - Kristen A Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-3270, USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Correspondence should be addressed to Eva H. Telzer, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Box #3270, 235 E. Cameron Ave, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-3270, USA. E-mail:
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18
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Dumornay NM, Lebois LAM, Ressler KJ, Harnett NG. Racial Disparities in Adversity During Childhood and the False Appearance of Race-Related Differences in Brain Structure. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:127-138. [PMID: 36722118 PMCID: PMC9897449 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21090961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Black Americans in the United States are disproportionately exposed to childhood adversity compared with White Americans. Such disparities may contribute to race-related differences in brain structures involved in regulating the emotional response to stress, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The authors investigated neuroanatomical consequences of racial disparities in adversity. METHODS The sample included 7,350 White American and 1,786 Black American children (ages 9-10) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (public data release 2.0). Structural MRI data, parent and child self-reports of adversity-related measures, and U.S. Census neighborhood data were used to investigate the relationship between racial disparities in adversity exposure and race-related differences in brain structure. RESULTS Black children experienced more traumatic events, family conflict, and material hardship on average compared with White children, and their parents or caregivers had lower educational attainment, lower income, and more unemployment compared with those of White children. Black children showed lower amygdala, hippocampus, and PFC gray matter volumes compared with White children. The volumes of the PFC and amygdala, but not the hippocampus, also varied with metrics of childhood adversity, with income being the most common predictor of brain volume differences. Accounting for differences in childhood adversity attenuated the magnitude of some race-related differences in gray matter volume. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that disparities in childhood adversity contribute to race-related differences in gray matter volume in key brain regions associated with threat-related processes. Structural alterations of these regions are linked to cognitive-affective dysfunction observed in disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. More granular assessments of structural inequities across racial/ethnic identities are needed for a thorough understanding of their impact on the brain. Together, the present findings may provide insight into potential systemic contributors to disparate rates of psychiatric disease among Black and White individuals in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie M. Dumornay
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, United States
| | - Lauren A. M. Lebois
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Nathaniel G. Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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19
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Executive Network Activation Moderates the Association between Neighborhood Threats and Externalizing Behavior in Youth. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:789-803. [PMID: 36705774 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-01003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neighborhood threats can increase risk for externalizing problems, including aggressive, oppositional, and delinquent behavior. Yet, there is substantial variability in how youth respond to neighborhood threats. Difficulty with cognitive functioning, particularly in the face of emotional information, may increase risk for externalizing in youth who live in neighborhoods with higher threats. However, little research has examined: 1) associations between neighborhood threats and executive networks involved in cognitive functioning or 2) whether executive networks may amplify risk for externalizing in the context of neighborhood threats. Further, most research on neighborhood threats does not account for youth's experiences in other social contexts. Utilizing the large, sociodemographically diverse cohort of youth (ages 9-10) included in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study, we identified four latent profiles of youth based on threats in their neighborhoods, families, and schools: low threat in all contexts, elevated family threat, elevated neighborhood threat, and elevated threat in all contexts. The elevated neighborhood threat and elevated all threat profiles showed lower behavioral performance on an emotional n-back task relative to low threat and elevated family threat profiles. Lower behavioral performance in the elevated neighborhood threat profile specifically was paralleled by lower executive network activity during a cognitive challenge. Moreover, among youth with lower executive network activity, higher probability of membership in the elevated neighborhood threat profile was associated with higher externalizing. Together, these results provide evidence that interactions between threats that are concentrated in youth's neighborhoods and attenuated executive network function may contribute to risk for externalizing problems.
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Clausén Gull I, Kapetanovic S, Norman Å, Ferrer-Wreder L, Olsson TM, Eninger L. Neighborhood conditions in a Swedish context-Two studies of reliability and validity of virtual systematic social observation using Google Street View. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1020742. [PMID: 36777218 PMCID: PMC9911895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1020742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The goal of these studies was to investigate the reliability and validity of virtual systematic social observation (virtual SSO) using Google Street View in a Swedish neighborhood context. Methods This was accomplished in two studies. Study 1 focused on interrater reliability and construct validity, comparing ratings conducted in-person to those done using Google Street View, across 24 study sites within four postal code areas. Study 2 focused on criterion validity of virtual SSO in terms of neighborhoods with low versus high income levels, including 133 study sites within 22 postal code areas in a large Swedish city. In both studies, assessment of the neighborhood context was conducted at each study site, using a protocol adapted to a Swedish context. Results Scales for Physical Decay, Neighborhood Dangerousness, and Physical Disorder were found to be reliable, with adequate interrater reliability, high consistency across methods, and high internal consistency. In Study 2, significantly higher levels of observed Physical Decay, Neighborhood Dangerousness, and signs of garbage or litter were observed in postal codes areas (site data was aggregated to postal code level) with lower as compared to higher income levels. Discussion We concluded that the scales within the virtual SSO with Google Street View protocol that were developed in this series of studies represents a reliable and valid measure of several key neighborhood contextual features. Implications for understanding the complex person-context interactions central to many theories of positive development among youth were discussed in relation to the study findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingela Clausén Gull
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden,*Correspondence: Ingela Clausén Gull, ✉
| | - Sabina Kapetanovic
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Social and Behavioral Studies, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden
| | - Åsa Norman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Tina M. Olsson
- Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Lilianne Eninger
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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21
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Vargas TG, Mittal VA. The Critical Roles of Early Development, Stress, and Environment in the Course of Psychosis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 4:423-445. [PMID: 36712999 PMCID: PMC9879333 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121020-032354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Psychotic disorders are highly debilitating with poor prognoses and courses of chronic illness. In recent decades, conceptual models have shaped understanding, informed treatment, and guided research questions. However, these models have classically focused on the adolescent and early adulthood stages immediately preceding onset while conceptualizing early infancy through all of childhood as a unitary premorbid period. In addition, models have paid limited attention to differential effects of types of stress; contextual factors such as local, regional, and country-level characteristics or sociocultural contexts; and the timing of the stressor or environmental risk. This review discusses emerging research suggesting that (a) considering effects specific to neurodevelopmental stages prior to adolescence is highly informative, (b) understanding specific stressors and levels of environmental exposures (i.e., systemic or contextual features) is necessary, and (c) exploring the dynamic interplay between development, levels and types of stressors, and environments can shed new light, informing a specified neurodevelopmental and multifaceted diathesis-stress model.
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Affiliation(s)
- T G Vargas
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - V A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Social Sciences, Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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22
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Hastings PD, Guyer AE, Parra LA. Conceptualizing the Influence of Social and Structural Determinants of Neurobiology and Mental Health: Why and How Biological Psychiatry Can Do Better at Addressing the Consequences of Inequity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1215-1224. [PMID: 35718087 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatry and allied disciplines have recognized the potency of structural and social determinants of mental health, yet there has been scant attention given to the roles of neurobiology in the links between structural and social determinants and mental health. In this article, we make the case for why greater attention must be given to structural and social determinants of biological psychiatry by researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers. After defining these terms and theoretical frameworks for considering their relevance in biological psychiatry, we review empirical research with marginalized and minoritized racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, and economic communities that reveals the ways in which structural and social determinants affect neurobiological functioning with implications for mental health. We give particular emphasis to developmental science and developmentally informed research, because structural and social determinants influence neurobiological adaptation and maturation across the lifespan. We conclude with recommendations for advancing research, practice, and policy that connect biological psychiatry with structural and social determinants of health. Foremost among these is diversifying the ranks of biological psychiatry, from classrooms through laboratories, hospitals, and community health centers. Transforming and advancing the understanding of the structural and social determinants of neurobiology and mental health is most likely to come through transforming the discipline itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Hastings
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, California; Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
| | - Amanda E Guyer
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, California; Department of Human Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Luis A Parra
- School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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23
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Blostein FA, Fisher J, Dou J, Schneper L, Ware EB, Notterman DA, Mitchell C, Bakulski KM. Polymethylation scores for prenatal maternal smoke exposure persist until age 15 and are detected in saliva in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing cohort. Epigenetics 2022; 17:2223-2240. [PMID: 35980258 PMCID: PMC9665138 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2112815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal smoking is associated with low birthweight, neurological disorders, and asthma in exposed children. DNA methylation signatures can function as biomarkers of prenatal smoke exposure. However, the robustness of DNA methylation signatures across child ages, genetic ancestry groups, or tissues is not clear. Using coefficients from a meta-analysis of prenatal smoke exposure and DNA methylation in newborn cord blood, we created polymethylation scores of saliva DNA methylation from children at ages 9 and 15 in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study. In the full sample at age 9 (n = 753), prenatal smoke exposure was associated with a 0.51 (95%CI: 0.35, 0.66) standard deviation higher polymethylation score. The direction and magnitude of the association was consistent in European and African genetic ancestry samples. In the full sample at age 15 (n = 747), prenatal smoke exposure was associated with a 0.48 (95%CI: 0.32, 0.63) standard deviation higher polymethylation score, and the association was attenuated among the European and Admixed-Latin genetic ancestry samples. The polymethylation score classified prenatal smoke exposure accurately (AUC age 9 = 0.77, age 15 = 0.76). Including the polymethylation score increased the AUC of base model covariates by 5 (95% CI: (2.1, 7.2)) percentage points, while including a single candidate site in the AHRR gene did not (P-value = 0.19). Polymethylation scores for prenatal smoking were portable across genetic ancestries and more accurate than an individual DNA methylation site. Polymethylation scores from saliva samples could serve as robust and practical biomarkers of prenatal smoke exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freida A. Blostein
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonah Fisher
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John Dou
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lisa Schneper
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Erin B. Ware
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Daniel A. Notterman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kelly M. Bakulski
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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24
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Ursache A, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Dawson-McClure S. Neighborhood influences on the development of self-regulation among children of color living in historically disinvested neighborhoods: Moderators and mediating mechanisms. Front Psychol 2022; 13:953304. [PMID: 36389468 PMCID: PMC9643166 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.953304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a conceptual model of the ways in which built and social environments shape the development of self-regulation in early childhood. Importantly, in centering children of color growing up in historically disinvested neighborhoods, we first describe how systemic structures of racism and social stratification have shaped neighborhood built and social environment features. We then present evidence linking these neighborhood features to children's development of self-regulation. Furthermore, we take a multilevel approach to examining three potential pathways linking neighborhood contexts to self-regulation: school environment and resources, home environment and resources, and child health behaviors. Finally, we consider how racial-ethnic-cultural strengths and multilevel interventions have the potential to buffer children's development of self-regulation in disinvested neighborhood contexts. Advancing multilevel approaches to understand the development of self-regulation among children of color living in historically disinvested neighborhoods is an important step in efforts to promote equity in health and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ursache
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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25
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Li M, Lindenmuth M, Tarnai K, Lee J, King-Casas B, Kim-Spoon J, Deater-Deckard K. Development of cognitive control during adolescence: The integrative effects of family socioeconomic status and parenting behaviors. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101139. [PMID: 35905528 PMCID: PMC9335383 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is of great interest to researchers and practitioners. The concurrent association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent cognitive control is well-documented. However, little is known about whether and how SES relates to individual differences in the development of adolescent cognitive control. The current four-year longitudinal investigation (N = 167, 13-14 years at Wave 1) used multi-source interference task performance (reaction time in interference correct trials minus neutral correct trials) and corresponding neural activities (blood oxygen level dependent contrast of interference versus neutral conditions) as measures of cognitive control. SES and parenting behaviors (warmth, monitoring) were measured through surveys. We examined direct and indirect effects of earlier SES on the development of cognitive control via parenting behaviors; the moderating effect of parenting also was explored. Results of latent growth modeling (LGM) revealed significant interactive effects between SES and parenting predicting behavioral and neural measures of cognitive control. Lower family SES was associated with poorer cognitive performance when coupled with low parental warmth. In contrast, higher family SES was associated with greater improvement in performance, as well as a higher intercept and steeper decrease in frontoparietal activation over time, when coupled with high parental monitoring. These findings extend prior cross-sectional evidence to show the moderating effect of the parenting environment on the potential effects of SES on developmental changes in adolescent cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Li
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn Tarnai
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jacob Lee
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Kirby Deater-Deckard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
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26
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Webb EK, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Douglas R. Radically reframing studies on neurobiology and socioeconomic circumstances: A call for social justice-oriented neuroscience. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:958545. [PMID: 36118113 PMCID: PMC9479322 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.958545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic circumstances are associated with symptoms and diagnostic status of nearly all mental health conditions. Given these robust relationships, neuroscientists have attempted to elucidate how socioeconomic-based adversity "gets under the skin." Historically, this work emphasized individual proxies of socioeconomic position (e.g., income, education), ignoring the effects of broader socioeconomic contexts (e.g., neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage) which may uniquely contribute to chronic stress. This omission represented a disconnect between neuroscience and other allied fields that have recognized health is undeniably linked to interactions between systems of power and individual characteristics. More recently, neuroscience work has considered how sociopolitical context affects brain structure and function; however, the products of this exciting line of research have lacked critical sociological and historical perspectives. While empirical evidence on this topic is burgeoning, the cultural, ethical, societal, and legal implications of this work have been elusive. Although the mechanisms by which socioeconomic circumstances impact brain structure and function may be similar across people, not everyone is exposed to these factors at similar rates. Individuals from ethnoracially minoritized groups are disproportionally exposed to neighborhood disadvantage. Thus, socioeconomic inequities examined in neuroscience research are undergirding with other forms of oppression, namely structural racism. We utilize a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to interpret findings from neuroscience research and interweave relevant theories from the fields of public health, social sciences, and Black feminist thought. In this perspective piece, we discuss the complex relationship that continues to exist between academic institutions and underserved surrounding communities, acknowledging the areas in which neuroscience research has historically harmed and/or excluded structurally disadvantaged communities. We conclude by envisioning how this work can be used; not just to inform policymakers, but also to engage and partner with communities and shape the future direction of human neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Kate Webb
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Robyn Douglas
- Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Brady RG, Rogers CE, Prochaska T, Kaplan S, Lean RE, Smyser TA, Shimony JS, Slavich GM, Warner BB, Barch DM, Luby JL, Smyser CD. The Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Neighborhood Crime on Neonatal Functional Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:139-148. [PMID: 35428496 PMCID: PMC9257309 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal exposure to adversity during pregnancy has been found to affect infant brain development; however, the specific effect of prenatal crime exposure on neonatal brain connectivity remains unclear. Based on existing research, we hypothesized that living in a high-crime neighborhood during pregnancy would affect neonatal frontolimbic connectivity over and above other individual- and neighborhood-level adversity and that these associations would be mediated by maternal psychosocial stress. METHODS Participants included 399 pregnant women, recruited as part of the eLABE (Early Life Adversity, Biological Embedding, and Risk for Developmental Precursors of Mental Disorders) study. In the neonatal period, 319 healthy, nonsedated infants were scanned using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (repetition time = 800 ms; echo time = 37 ms; voxel size = 2.0 × 2.0 × 2.0 mm3; multiband = 8) on a Prisma 3T scanner and had at least 10 minutes of high-quality data. Crime data at the block group level were obtained from Applied Geographic Solution. Linear regressions and mediation models tested associations between crime, frontolimbic connectivity, and psychosocial stress. RESULTS Living in a neighborhood with high property crime during pregnancy was related to weaker neonatal functional connectivity between the thalamus-anterior default mode network (aDMN) (β = -0.15, 95% CI = -0.25 to -0.04, p = .008). Similarly, high neighborhood violent crime was related to weaker functional connectivity between the thalamus-aDMN (β = -0.16, 95% CI = -0.29 to -0.04, p = .01) and amygdala-hippocampus (β = -0.16, 95% CI = -0.29 to -0.03, p = .02), controlling for other types of adversity. Psychosocial stress partially mediated relationships between the thalamus-aDMN and both violent and property crime. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that prenatal exposure to crime is associated with weaker neonatal limbic and frontal functional brain connections, providing another reason for targeted public policy interventions to reduce crime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Brady
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Cynthia E Rogers
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Trinidi Prochaska
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sydney Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rachel E Lean
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tara A Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joshua S Shimony
- Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - George M Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Barbara B Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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28
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Huggins AA, McTeague LM, Davis MM, Bustos N, Crum KI, Polcyn R, Adams ZW, Carpenter LA, Hajcak G, Halliday CA, Joseph JE, Danielson CK. Neighborhood Disadvantage Associated With Blunted Amygdala Reactivity to Predictable and Unpredictable Threat in a Community Sample of Youth. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:242-252. [PMID: 35928141 PMCID: PMC9348572 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood socioeconomic disadvantage is a form of adversity associated with alterations in critical frontolimbic circuits involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Most work has focused on individual-level socioeconomic position, yet individuals living in deprived communities typically encounter additional environmental stressors that have unique effects on the brain and health outcomes. Notably, chronic and unpredictable stressors experienced in the everyday lives of youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may impact neural responsivity to uncertain threat. METHODS A community sample of children (N = 254) ages 8 to 15 years (mean = 12.15) completed a picture anticipation task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, during which neutral and negatively valenced photos were presented in a temporally predictable or unpredictable manner. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores were derived from participants' home addresses as an index of relative neighborhood disadvantage. Voxelwise analyses examined interactions of ADI, valence, and predictability on neural response to picture presentation. RESULTS There was a significant ADI × valence interaction in the middle temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Higher ADI was associated with less amygdala activation to negatively valenced images. ADI also interacted with predictability. Higher ADI was associated with greater activation of lingual and calcarine gyri for unpredictably presented stimuli. There was no three-way interaction of ADI, valence, and predictability. CONCLUSIONS Neighborhood disadvantage may impact how the brain perceives and responds to potential threats. Future longitudinal work is critical for delineating how such effects may persist across the life span and how health outcomes may be modifiable with community-based interventions and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A. Huggins
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Lisa M. McTeague
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Megan M. Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Nicholas Bustos
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Kathleen I. Crum
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Rachel Polcyn
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Zachary W. Adams
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Laura A. Carpenter
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Colleen A. Halliday
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jane E. Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Carla Kmett Danielson
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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Poudel R, Tobia MJ, Riedel MC, Salo T, Flannery JS, Hill-Bowen LD, Dick AS, Laird AR, Parra CM, Sutherland MT. Risky decision-making strategies mediate the relationship between amygdala activity and real-world financial savings among individuals from lower income households: A pilot study. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113867. [PMID: 35385783 PMCID: PMC10739684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Lower financial savings among individuals experiencing adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) increases vulnerabilities during times of crisis. SDoH including low socioeconomic status (low-SES) influence cognitive abilities as well as health and life outcomes that may perpetuate poverty and disparities. Despite evidence suggesting a role for financial growth in minimizing SDoH-related disparities and vulnerabilities, neurobiological mechanisms linked with financial behavior remain to be elucidated. As such, we examined the relationships between brain activity during decision-making (DM), laboratory-based task performance, and money savings behavior. Participants (N = 24, 14 females) from low-SES households (income<$20,000/year) underwent fMRI scanning while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), a DM paradigm probing risky- and strategic-DM processes. Participants also completed self-report instruments characterizing relevant personality characteristics and then engaged in a community outreach financial program where amount of money saved was tracked over a 6-month period. Regarding BART-related brain activity, we observed expected activity in regions implicated in reward and emotional processing including the amygdala. Regarding brain-behavior relationships, we found that laboratory-based BART performance mediated the impact of amygdala activity on real-world behavior. That is, elevated amygdala activity was linked with BART strategic-DM which, in turn, was linked with more money saved after 6 months. In exploratory analyses, this mediation was moderated by emotion-related personality characteristics such that, only individuals reporting lower alexithymia demonstrated a relationship between amygdala activity and savings. These outcomes suggest that DM-related amygdala activity and/or emotion-related personality characteristics may provide utility as an endophenotypic marker of individual's financial savings behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjita Poudel
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michael J Tobia
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michael C Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Jessica S Flannery
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Lauren D Hill-Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Anthony S Dick
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Angela R Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Carlos M Parra
- College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Matthew T Sutherland
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States.
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30
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Noppert GA, Martin CL, Zivich PN, Aiello AE, Harris KM, O'Rand A. Adolescent neighborhood disadvantage and memory performance in young adulthood. Health Place 2022; 75:102793. [PMID: 35367864 PMCID: PMC9721118 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we estimated the average causal effect of neighborhood disadvantage in adolescence on memory performance in young adulthood. We contrasted several different ways of operationalizing a continuous measure of neighborhood disadvantage including a continuous neighborhood disadvantage score and ordinal measures. RESULTS Neighborhood disadvantage was measured in Wave I when participants were a mean age of 15.41 years (SE: 0.12) and memory performance was measured in Wave IV when participants were a mean age of 28.24 years (SE: 0.12). We found that adolescent neighborhood disadvantage was associated with decreased memory performance in young adulthood. Notably, we observed a linear decline in word recall score among those in the less disadvantaged tail of the distribution (neighborhood disadvantage <1), a finding not observed using traditional ordinal variable classifications of disadvantage. CONCLUSION Experiencing neighborhood disadvantage in adolescence may have lasting impacts on cognitive health throughout the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chantel L Martin
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Paul N Zivich
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | | | - Angela O'Rand
- Duke University Population Research Institute, Duke University, USA
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31
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Hyde LW, Gard AM, Tomlinson RC, Suarez GL, Westerman HE. Parents, neighborhoods, and the developing brain. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luke W. Hyde
- University of Michigan Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Arianna M. Gard
- University of Maryland Department of Psychology College Park Maryland USA
| | - Rachel C. Tomlinson
- University of Michigan Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- University of Maryland Department of Psychology College Park Maryland USA
| | - Gabriela L. Suarez
- University of Michigan Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- University of Maryland Department of Psychology College Park Maryland USA
| | - Heidi E. Westerman
- University of Michigan Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- University of Maryland Department of Psychology College Park Maryland USA
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32
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Calabrese JR, Goetschius LG, Murray L, Kaplan MR, Lopez-Duran N, Mitchell C, Hyde LW, Monk CS. Mapping frontostriatal white matter tracts and their association with reward-related ventral striatum activation in adolescence. Brain Res 2022; 1780:147803. [PMID: 35090884 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The ventral striatum (VS) is implicated in reward processing and motivation. Human and non-human primate studies demonstrate that the VS and prefrontal cortex (PFC), which comprise the frontostriatal circuit, interact to influence motivated behavior. However, there is a lack of research that precisely maps and quantifies VS-PFC white matter tracts. Moreover, no studies have linked frontostriatal white matter to VS activation. Using a multimodal neuroimaging approach with diffusion MRI (dMRI) and functional MRI (fMRI), the present study had two objectives: 1) to chart white matter tracts between the VS and specific PFC structures and 2) assess the association between the degree of VS-PFC white matter tract connectivity and VS activation in 187 adolescents. White matter connectivity was assessed with probabilistic tractography and functional activation was examined with two fMRI tasks (one task with social reward and another task using monetary reward). We found widespread but variable white matter connectivity between the VS and areas of the PFC, with the anterior insula and subgenual cingulate cortex demonstrating the greatest degree of connectivity with the VS. VS-PFC structural connectivity was related to functional activation in the VS though activation depended on the specific PFC region and reward task.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Megan R Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Population Studies Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Christopher S Monk
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Ip KI, Sisk LM, Horien C, Conley MI, Rapuano KM, Rosenberg MD, Greene AS, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Casey BJ, Baskin-Sommers A, Gee DG. Associations among Household and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantages, Resting-state Frontoamygdala Connectivity, and Internalizing Symptoms in Youth. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1810-1841. [PMID: 35104356 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) can have negative impacts on mental health, yet SED are a multifaceted construct and the precise processes by which SED confer deleterious effects are less clear. Using a large and diverse sample of preadolescents (ages 9-10 years at baseline, n = 4038, 49% female) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, we examined associations among SED at both household (i.e., income-needs and material hardship) and neighborhood (i.e., area deprivation and neighborhood unsafety) levels, frontoamygdala resting-state functional connectivity, and internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up. SED were positively associated with internalizing symptoms at baseline and indirectly predicted symptoms 1 year later through elevated symptoms at baseline. At the household level, youth in households characterized by higher disadvantage (i.e., lower income-to-needs ratio) exhibited more strongly negative frontoamygdala coupling, particularly between the bilateral amygdala and medial OFC (mOFC) regions within the frontoparietal network. Although more strongly positive amygdala-mOFC coupling was associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up, it did not mediate the association between income-to-needs ratio and internalizing symptoms. However, at the neighborhood level, amygdala-mOFC functional coupling moderated the effect of neighborhood deprivation on internalizing symptoms. Specifically, higher neighborhood deprivation was associated with higher internalizing symptoms for youth with more strongly positive connectivity, but not for youth with more strongly negative connectivity, suggesting a potential buffering effect. Findings highlight the importance of capturing multilevel socioecological contexts in which youth develop to identify youth who are most likely to benefit from early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka I Ip
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
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Hardi FA, Goetschius LG, Peckins MK, Brooks-Gunn J, McLanahan SS, McLoyd V, Lopez-Duran NL, Mitchell C, Hyde LW, Monk CS. Differential Developmental Associations of Material Hardship Exposure and Adolescent Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex White Matter Connectivity. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 34:1866-1891. [PMID: 34942644 PMCID: PMC9651170 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating literature has linked poverty to brain structure and function, particularly in affective neural regions; however, few studies have examined associations with structural connections or the importance of developmental timing of exposure. Moreover, prior neuroimaging studies have not used a proximal measure of poverty (i.e., material hardship, which assesses food, housing, and medical insecurity) to capture the lived experience of growing up in harsh economic conditions. The present investigation addressed these gaps collectively by examining the associations between material hardship (ages 1, 3, 5, 9, and 15 years) and white matter connectivity of frontolimbic structures (age of 15 years) in a low-income sample. We applied probabilistic tractography to diffusion imaging data collected from 194 adolescents. Results showed that material hardship related to amygdala-prefrontal, but not hippocampus-prefrontal or hippocampus-amygdala, white matter connectivity. Specifically, hardship during middle childhood (ages 5 and 9 years) was associated with greater connectivity between the amygdala and dorsomedial pFC, whereas hardship during adolescence (age of 15 years) was related to reduced amygdala-orbitofrontal (OFC) and greater amygdala-subgenual ACC connectivity. Growth curve analyses showed that greater increases of hardship across time were associated with both greater (amygdala-subgenual ACC) and reduced (amygdala-OFC) white matter connectivity. Furthermore, these effects remained above and beyond other types of adversity, and greater hardship and decreased amygdala-OFC connectivity were related to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results demonstrate that the associations between material hardship and white matter connections differ across key prefrontal regions and developmental periods, providing support for potential windows of plasticity for structural circuits that support emotion processing.
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James S, McLanahan S, Brooks-Gunn J. Contributions of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to Child Development. ANNUAL REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 3:187-206. [PMID: 35721627 PMCID: PMC9205571 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-050620-113832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We describe the promise of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) for developmental researchers. FFCWS is a birth cohort study of 4,898 children born in 1998-2000 in large US cities. This prospective national study collected data on children and parents at birth and during infancy (age 1), toddlerhood (age 3), early childhood (age 5), middle childhood (age 9), adolescence (age 15), and, in progress, young adulthood (age 22). Though FFCWS was created to understand the lives of unmarried parent families, its comprehensive data on parents, children, and contexts can be used to explore many other developmental questions. We identify six opportunities for developmentalists: (a) analyzing developmental trajectories, identifying the importance of the timing of exposures for later development, (c) documenting bidirectional influences on development, (d) understanding development in context, (e) identifying biological moderators and mechanisms, and ( f ) using an urban-born cohort that is large, diverse, and prospective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah James
- Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Sara McLanahan
- Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
- Teachers College and College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Mikhail ME, Carroll SL, Clark DA, O'Connor S, Burt SA, Klump KL. Context matters: Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with increased disordered eating and earlier activation of genetic influences in girls. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 130:875-885. [PMID: 34843291 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests socioeconomic disadvantage may increase risk for eating disorders (EDs). However, there are very few studies on the association between disadvantage and EDs, and all have focused on individual-level risk factors (e.g., family income). Neighborhood disadvantage (i.e., elevated poverty and reduced resources in one's neighborhood) is associated with increased risk for anxiety/depression and poor physical health. To date, no studies have examined phenotypic associations between neighborhood disadvantage and disordered eating, or how any form of disadvantage may interact with genetic individual differences in risk for EDs. We examined phenotypic and etiologic associations between neighborhood disadvantage and disordered eating in 2,922 girls ages 8-17 from same-sex twin pairs recruited through the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Parents rated the twins on nine items assessing core disordered eating symptoms (e.g., weight preoccupation, binge eating), and neighborhood disadvantage was calculated from 17 indicators of contextual disadvantage (e.g., median home value, neighborhood unemployment). Puberty was measured using the Pubertal Development Scale to examine whether associations were consistent across development. At a phenotypic level, greater neighborhood disadvantage was associated with significantly greater disordered eating symptoms in girls at all stages of puberty (β = .07). Moreover, Genotype × Environment models showed that girls living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods exhibited stronger and earlier (i.e., during pre/early puberty) activation of genetic influences on disordered eating. Results highlight the critical importance of considering contextual disadvantage in research on etiology and risk for disordered eating, and the need for increased screening and treatment for EDs in disadvantaged youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - D Angus Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Gee DG. Early Adversity and Development: Parsing Heterogeneity and Identifying Pathways of Risk and Resilience. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:998-1013. [PMID: 34734741 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21090944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Adversity early in life is common and is a major risk factor for the onset of psychopathology. Delineating the neurodevelopmental pathways by which early adversity affects mental health is critical for early risk identification and targeted treatment approaches. A rapidly growing cross-species literature has facilitated advances in identifying the mechanisms linking adversity with psychopathology, specific dimensions of adversity and timing-related factors that differentially relate to outcomes, and protective factors that buffer against the effects of adversity. Yet, vast complexity and heterogeneity in early environments and neurodevelopmental trajectories contribute to the challenges of understanding risk and resilience in the context of early adversity. In this overview, the author highlights progress in four major areas-mechanisms, heterogeneity, developmental timing, and protective factors; synthesizes key challenges; and provides recommendations for future research that can facilitate progress in the field. Translation across species and ongoing refinement of conceptual models have strong potential to inform prevention and intervention strategies that can reduce the immense burden of psychopathology associated with early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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Rakesh D, Cropley V, Zalesky A, Vijayakumar N, Allen NB, Whittle S. Neighborhood disadvantage and longitudinal brain-predicted-age trajectory during adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:101002. [PMID: 34411954 PMCID: PMC8377545 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Neighborhood disadvantage has consistently been linked to alterations in brain structure; however, positive environmental (e.g., positive parenting) and psychological factors (e.g., temperament) may buffer these effects. We aimed to investigate associations between neighborhood disadvantage and deviations from typical neurodevelopmental trajectories during adolescence, and examine the moderating role of positive parenting and temperamental effortful control (EC). Using a large dataset (n = 1313), a normative model of brain morphology was established, which was then used to predict the age of youth from a longitudinal dataset (n = 166, three time-points at age 12, 16, and 19). Using linear mixed models, we investigated whether trajectories of the difference between brain-predicted-age and chronological age (brainAGE) were associated with neighborhood disadvantage, and whether positive parenting (positive behavior during a problem-solving task) and EC moderated these associations. We found that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with positive brainAGE during early adolescence and a deceleration (decreasing brainAGE) thereafter. EC moderated this association such that in disadvantaged adolescents, low EC was associated with delayed development (negative brainAGE) during late adolescence. Findings provide evidence for complex associations between environmental and psychological factors, and brain maturation. They suggest that neighborhood disadvantage may have long-term effects on neurodevelopment during adolescence, but high EC could buffer these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Vanessa Cropley
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Zalesky
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia.
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Rakesh D, Whittle S. Socioeconomic status and the developing brain - A systematic review of neuroimaging findings in youth. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:379-407. [PMID: 34474050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A growing literature has shown associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and neural properties (such as brain structure and function). In this review, we aimed to synthesize findings on the neural correlates of socioeconomic status (SES) in youth samples across neuroimaging modalities. We also aimed to disentangle the effects of different SES measures (e.g., parent income and education) in our synthesis. We found relatively consistent patterns of positive associations between SES and both volume and cortical surface area of frontal regions, and amygdala, hippocampal, and striatal volume (with most consistent results for composite SES indices). Despite limited longitudinal work, results suggest that SES is associated with developmental trajectories of gray matter structure. Higher SES was also found to be associated with increased fractional anisotropy of some white matter tracts, although there were more null than positive findings. Finally, methodological heterogeneity in brain function and connectivity studies prevented us from making strong inferences. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future research, discuss the role of mitigating factors, and implications for policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
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Food Insecurity and Child Development: A State-of-the-Art Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18178990. [PMID: 34501578 PMCID: PMC8431639 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18178990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Converging research indicates that household food insecurity impedes children from reaching their full physical, cognitive, and psychosocial potential. This state-of-the-art review examines the last decade of research to: (1) describe the impact of the severity and persistence of food insecurity on child development; (2) use a socio-ecological framework to examine significant proximal and distal factors which may interplay; and (3) outline directions for future research. We conducted a systematic review of six databases of published papers from 2011 to June 2021. The search was limited to high-income countries and children aged from birth to 12 years. From 17,457 papers, 17 studies were included in the final review. Transitioning between food security and food insecurity had a significant and lasting effect on academic/cognitive function and behavior (i.e., externalizing), however less clear relationships were seen for psychosocial outcomes and other behaviors examined (i.e., internalizing). There was significant variation in the measurement and thresholds used to define both food insecurity and child development outcomes. Subsequently, comparisons across studies are difficult. Several future recommendations, including incorporation of socio-ecological factors, is provided. In conclusion, this review supports the link between food insecurity and sub-optimal child development; however, there is an imperative to improve and extend current understanding to ameliorate the causes of food insecurity.
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Rakesh D, Zalesky A, Whittle S. Similar but distinct - Effects of different socioeconomic indicators on resting state functional connectivity: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:101005. [PMID: 34419766 PMCID: PMC8379618 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early socioeconomic status (SES) has consistently been associated with child health and cognitive outcomes, in addition to alterations in brain function and connectivity. The goal of the present study was to probe the effects of different facets of SES (parent education, income, and neighborhood disadvantage), that likely represent varying aspects of the environment, on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC). We investigated this question in a large sample of 9475 children (aged 9–10 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Specifically, we analyzed the association between household SES (parent education, income-to-needs ratio) and neighborhood disadvantage, and system-level rsFC using within-sample split-half replication. We then tested whether the associations were unique to each SES measure, and whether household SES and neighborhood disadvantage had interactive effects on rsFC. SES measures had both common and distinct effects on rsFC, with sensory-motor systems (e.g., sensorimotor network) and cognitive networks (e.g., front-parietal network) particularly implicated. Further, the association between neighborhood disadvantage and sensorimotor network connectivity was less pronounced in the presence of high income-to-needs. Findings demonstrate that different facets of SES have distinct and interacting effects on rsFC, highlighting the importance of considering different indicators when studying the effects of SES on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew Zalesky
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
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Hackman DA, Cserbik D, Chen JC, Berhane K, Minaravesh B, McConnell R, Herting MM. Association of Local Variation in Neighborhood Disadvantage in Metropolitan Areas With Youth Neurocognition and Brain Structure. JAMA Pediatr 2021; 175:e210426. [PMID: 33938908 PMCID: PMC8094040 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Importance Neighborhood disadvantage is an important social determinant of health in childhood and adolescence. Less is known about the association of neighborhood disadvantage with youth neurocognition and brain structure, and particularly whether associations are similar across metropolitan areas and are attributed to local differences in disadvantage. Objective To test whether neighborhood disadvantage is associated with youth neurocognitive performance and with global and regional measures of brain structure after adjusting for family socioeconomic status and perceptions of neighborhood characteristics, and to assess whether these associations (1) are pervasive or limited, (2) vary across metropolitan areas, and (3) are attributed to local variation in disadvantage within metropolitan areas. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study analyzed baseline data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a cohort study conducted at 21 sites across the US. Participants were children aged 9.00 to 10.99 years at enrollment. They and their parent or caregiver completed a baseline visit between October 1, 2016, and October 31, 2018. Exposures Neighborhood disadvantage factor based on US census tract characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures Neurocognition was measured with the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess whole-brain and regional measures of structure. Linear mixed-effects models examined the association between neighborhood disadvantage and outcomes after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Results Of the 11 875 children in the ABCD Study cohort, 8598 children (72.4%) were included in this analysis. The study sample had a mean (SD) age of 118.8 (7.4) months and included 4526 boys (52.6%). Every 1-unit increase in the neighborhood disadvantage factor was associated with lower performance on 6 of 7 subtests, such as Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention (unstandardized Β = -0.5; 95% CI, -0.7 to -0.2; false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P = .001) and List Sorting Working Memory (unstandardized Β = -0.7; 95% CI, -1.0 to -0.3; FDR-corrected P < .001), as well as on all composite measures of neurocognition, such as the Total Cognition Composite (unstandardized Β = -0.7; 95% CI, -0.9 to -0.5; FDR-corrected P < .001). Each 1-unit increase in neighborhood disadvantage was associated with lower whole-brain cortical surface area (unstandardized Β = -692.6 mm2; 95% CI, -1154.9 to -230.4 mm2; FDR-corrected P = .007) and subcortical volume (unstandardized Β = -113.9 mm3; 95% CI, -198.5 to -29.4 mm3; FDR-corrected P = .03) as well as with regional surface area differences, primarily in the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. Associations largely remained after adjusting for perceptions of neighborhood safety and were both consistent across metropolitan areas and primarily explained by local variation in each area. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that, in the US, local variation in neighborhood disadvantage was associated with lower neurocognitive performance and smaller cortical surface area and subcortical volume in young people. The findings demonstrate that neighborhood disadvantage is an environmental risk factor for neurodevelopmental and population health and enhancing the neighborhood context is a promising approach to improving the health and development of children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Hackman
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Dora Cserbik
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Bita Minaravesh
- USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Associations Between Neighborhood Disadvantage, Resting-State Functional Connectivity, and Behavior in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study: The Moderating Role of Positive Family and School Environments. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 6:877-886. [PMID: 33771727 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neighborhood disadvantage has consistently been associated with mental health and cognitive function, in addition to alterations in brain function and connectivity. However, positive environmental influences may buffer these effects. The aim of this study was to examine the association between neighborhood disadvantage and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), the moderating role of positive parenting and school environment, and relationships between disadvantage-associated rsFC patterns and mental health and cognition. METHODS In this preregistered study, we tested this hypothesis in a large sample of 7618 children (aged 9-10 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Specifically, we analyzed the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and system-level FC. We also tested whether positive family and school environmental factors and sex moderated effects. Finally, we investigated multivariate relationships between disadvantage-associated rsFC patterns and cognition and mental health. RESULTS Disadvantage was associated with widespread alterations in FC across both higher-order (e.g., default mode network and dorsal attention network) and sensorimotor functional systems, some of which were moderated by positive environments. Implicated connections showed multivariate associations with behavior, whereby disadvantage-associated rsFC was generally associated with worse cognition and mental health. Disadvantage-associated connections also predicted variation in cognitive scores using machine learning models. CONCLUSIONS Our findings shed light on potential mechanisms (i.e., alteration of neural circuitry) through which neighborhood disadvantage may affect youth cognition and mental well-being. This work highlights the importance of positive family and school environments in mitigating some of these effects.
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Hyde LW, Gard AM, Tomlinson RC, Burt SA, Mitchell C, Monk CS. An ecological approach to understanding the developing brain: Examples linking poverty, parenting, neighborhoods, and the brain. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2020; 75:1245-1259. [PMID: 33382290 PMCID: PMC8167378 DOI: 10.1037/amp0000741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We describe an ecological approach to understanding the developing brain, with a focus on the effects of poverty-related adversity on brain function. We articulate how combining multilevel ecological models from developmental science and developmental psychopathology with human neuroscience can inform our approach to understanding the developmental neuroscience of risk and resilience. To illustrate this approach, we focus on associations between poverty and brain function, the roles parents and neighborhoods play in this context, and the potential impact of developmental timing. We also describe the major challenges and needed advances in these areas of research to better understand how and why poverty-related adversity may impact the developing brain, including the need for: a population neuroscience approach with greater attention to sampling and representation, genetically informed and causal designs, advances in assessing context and brain function, caution in interpretation of effects, and a focus on resilience. Work in this area has major implications for policy and prevention, which are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
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