Temporal Coding of Single Auditory Nerve Fibers Is Not Degraded in Aging Gerbils

Screen use in transgender and gender-questioning adolescents: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between transgender or gender-questioning identity and screen use (recreational screen time and problematic screen use) in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the U.S.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from Year 3 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®, N = 9859, 2019-2021, mostly 12-13-years-old). Multiple linear regression analyses estimated the associations between transgender or questioning gender identity and screen time, as well as problematic use of video games, social media, and mobile phones, adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

In a sample of 9859 adolescents (48.8% female, 47.6% racial/ethnic minority, 1.0% transgender, 1.1% gender-questioning), transgender adolescents reported 4.51 (95% CI 1.17-7.85) more hours of total daily recreational screen time including more time on television/movies, video games, texting, social media, and the internet, compared to cisgender adolescents. Gender-questioning adolescents reported 3.41 (95% CI 1.16-5.67) more hours of total daily recreational screen time compared to cisgender adolescents. Transgender identification and questioning one's gender identity was associated with higher problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use, compared to cisgender identification.

CONCLUSIONS

Transgender and gender-questioning adolescents spend a disproportionate amount of time engaging in screen-based activities and have more problematic use across social media, video game, and mobile phone platforms.

Associations between somatomotor-putamen resting state connectivity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms vary as a function of stress during early adolescence: Data from the ABCD study

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) are relatively common during adolescence although most individuals do not meet diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nonetheless, OCS during adolescence are associated with comorbid psychopathologies and behavioral problems. Heightened levels of environmental stress and greater functional connectivity between the somatomotor network and putamen have been previously associated with elevated OCS in OCD patients relative to healthy controls. However, the interaction of these factors within the same sample of individuals has been understudied. This study examined somatomotor-putamen resting state connectivity, stress, and their interaction on OCS in adolescents from 9-12 years of age. Participants (n = 6386) were drawn from the ABCD Study 4.0 release. Multilevel modeling was used to account for nesting in the data and to assess changes in OCS in this age range. Stress moderated the association between somatomotor-putamen connectivity and OCS (β = 0.35, S.E. = 0.13, p = 0.006). Participants who reported more stress than their average and had greater somatomotor-left putamen connectivity reported more OCS, whereas participants who reported less stress than their average and had greater somatomotor-left putamen connectivity reported less OCS. These data suggest that stress differentially affects the direction of association between somatomotor-putamen connectivity and OCS. Individual differences in the experience or perception of stress may contribute to more OCS in adolescents with greater somatomotor-putamen connectivity.

Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Adolescent Physical Activity in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To determine the associations between the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and objectively-measured physical activity (PA) in a population-based, demographically diverse cohort of 9-14-year-olds and to determine which subtypes of ACEs were associated with physical activity levels.

METHODS

We analyzed data (n = 7046) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study 4.0 release at baseline and year 2 follow-up. ACE (cumulative score and subtypes) and physical activity (average Fitbit daily steps assessed at Year 2) were analyzed using linear regression analyses. Covariates included race and ethnicity, sex, household income, parent education, body mass index, study site, twins/siblings, and data collection period.

RESULTS

Adjusted models suggest an inverse association between number of ACEs and Fitbit daily steps, with ≥4 (compared to 0) ACEs associated with 567 fewer daily steps (95% CI -902.2, -232.2). Of the ACEs subtypes, emotional abuse (B = -719.3, 95% CI -1430.8, -7.9), physical neglect (B = -423.7, 95% CI -752.8, -94.6), household mental illness (B = -317.1, 95% CI -488.3, -145.9), and household divorce or separation (B = -275.4, 95% CI -521.5, -29.2) were inversely and statistically significant associated with Fitbit daily steps after adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that there is an inverse, dose-dependent relationship between cumulative number of ACEs and physical activity as measured by daily steps. This work highlights the importance of screening for ACEs among young people at an early age to help identify those who could benefit from interventions or community programs that support increased physical activity.

Longitudinal associations of screen time, physical activity, and sleep duration with body mass index in U.S. youth

BACKGROUND

Youth use different forms of screen time (e.g., streaming, gaming) that may be related to body mass index (BMI). Screen time is non-independent from other behaviors, including physical activity and sleep duration. Statistical approaches such as isotemporal substitution or compositional data analysis (CoDA) can model associations between these non-independent behaviors and health outcomes. Few studies have examined different types of screen time, physical activity, and sleep duration simultaneously in relation to BMI.

METHODS

Data were baseline (2017-2018) and one-year follow-up (2018-2019) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a multi-site study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth (N = 10,544, mean [SE] baseline age = 9.9 [0.03] years, 48.9% female, 45.4% non-White). Participants reported daily minutes of screen time (streaming, gaming, socializing), physical activity, and sleep. Sex-stratified models estimated the association between baseline behaviors and follow-up BMI z-score, controlling for demographic characteristics, internalizing symptoms, and BMI z-score at baseline.

RESULTS

In females, isotemporal substitution models estimated that replacing 30 min of socializing (β [95% CI] = -0.03 [-0.05, -0.002]), streaming (-0.03 [-0.05, -0.01]), or gaming (-0.03 [-0.06, -0.01]) with 30 min of physical activity was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score. In males, replacing 30 min of socializing (-0.03 [-0.05, -0.01]), streaming (-0.02 [-0.03, -0.01]), or gaming (-0.02 [-0.03, -0.01]) with 30 min of sleep was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score. In males, replacing 30 min of socializing with 30 min of gaming was associated with a lower follow-up BMI z-score (-0.01 [-0.03, -0.0001]). CoDA estimated that in males, a greater proportion of time spent in baseline socializing, relative to the remaining behaviors, was associated with a higher follow-up BMI z-score (0.05 [0.02, 0.08]). In females, no associations between screen time and BMI were observed using CoDA.

CONCLUSIONS

One-year longitudinal associations between screen time and BMI may depend on form of screen time, what behavior it replaces (physical activity or sleep), and participant sex. The alternative statistical approaches yielded somewhat different results. Experimental manipulation of screen time and investigation of biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the observed sex differences will allow for causal inference and can inform interventions.

Threat experiences moderate the link between hippocampus volume and depression symptoms prospectively in adolescence

Identifying neuroimaging risk markers for depression has been an elusive goal in psychopathology research. Despite this, smaller hippocampal volume has emerged as a potential risk marker for depression, with recent research suggesting this association is moderated by family income. The current pre-registered study aimed to replicate and extend these findings by examining the moderating role of family income and three dimensions of environmental experience on the link between hippocampus volume and later depression. Data were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study and were comprised of 6693 youth aged 9-10 years at baseline. Results indicated that psychosocial threat moderated the association between right hippocampus volume and depression symptoms two years later, such that a negative association was evident in low-threat environments (std. beta=0.15, 95% CI [0.05, 0.24]). This interaction remained significant when baseline depression symptoms were included as a covariate, though only in youth endorsing 1 or more depression symptoms at baseline (β = 0.13, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.22]). These results suggest that hippocampus volume may not be a consistent correlate of depression symptoms in high risk environments and emphasize the importance of including measures of environmental heterogeneity when seeking risk markers for depression.

Sex, gender diversity, and brain structure in early adolescence

There remains little consensus about the relationship between sex and brain structure, particularly in early adolescence. Moreover, few pediatric neuroimaging studies have analyzed both sex and gender as variables of interest-many of which included small sample sizes and relied on binary definitions of gender. The current study examined gender diversity with a continuous felt-gender score and categorized sex based on X and Y allele frequency in a large sample of children ages 9-11 years old (N = 7195). Then, a statistical model-building approach was employed to determine whether gender diversity and sex independently or jointly relate to brain morphology, including subcortical volume, cortical thickness, gyrification, and white matter microstructure. Additional sensitivity analyses found that male versus female differences in gyrification and white matter were largely accounted for by total brain volume, rather than sex per se. The model with sex, but not gender diversity, was the best-fitting model in 60.1% of gray matter regions and 61.9% of white matter regions after adjusting for brain volume. The proportion of variance accounted for by sex was negligible to small in all cases. While models including felt-gender explained a greater amount of variance in a few regions, the felt-gender score alone was not a significant predictor on its own for any white or gray matter regions examined. Overall, these findings demonstrate that at ages 9-11 years old, sex accounts for a small proportion of variance in brain structure, while gender diversity is not directly associated with neurostructural diversity.

Neurodevelopmental Subtypes of Functional Brain Organization in the ABCD Study Using a Rigorous Analytic Framework

The current study demonstrates that an individual's resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is a dependable biomarker for identifying differential patterns of cognitive and emotional functioning during late childhood. Using baseline RSFC data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which includes children aged 9-11, we identified four distinct RSFC subtypes We introduce an integrated methodological pipeline for testing the reliability and importance of these subtypes. In the Identification phase, Leiden Community Detection defined RSFC subtypes, with their reproducibility confirmed through a split-sample technique in the Validation stage. The Evaluation phase showed that distinct cognitive and mental health profiles are associated with each subtype, with the Predictive phase indicating that subtypes better predict various cognitive and mental health characteristics than individual RSFC connections. The Replication stage employed bootstrapping and down-sampling methods to substantiate the reproducibility of these subtypes further. This work allows future explorations of developmental trajectories of these RSFC subtypes.

Mental Well-Being Among Adversity-Exposed Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Importance

Further research is needed to understand factors associated with well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Objective

To explore factors associated with improved mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents who have experienced ACEs.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used data from the baseline (2016-2018) and sixth (March 2021) COVID Rapid Response Research (RRR) surveys of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, which includes 21 sites across the US. Adolescents aged 11 to 15 years who completed the COVID RRR mental health measures were included. Data analyses were conducted from June to August 2023.

Exposures

School-based factors (eg, in-person school) and 8 coping behaviors (eg, exercise).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were adolescent-reported positive affect (PA) and perceived stress (PS). Adolescents were stratified by no ACEs, low-to-intermediate ACEs (1-3), and high ACEs (≥4). Linear regressions estimated associations between factors and mental health, adjusting for potential confounders. Unstandardized beta coefficients (B) were compared with equality of coefficients tests.

Results

The 4515 adolescents in this study (mean [SD] age, 13.3 [0.88] years; 51% [95% CI, 50% to 53%] female) were racially and ethnically diverse (American Indian/Alaska Native, 2% [95% CI, 2% to 3%]; Asian, 8% [95% CI, 7% to 9%]; Black, 11% [95% CI, 10% to 12%]; Latino or Hispanic, 17% [95% CI, 15% to 18%]; White, 61% [95% CI, 60% to 63%]; other, 1% [95% CI, 0% to 2%]). For youths with high ACEs, caring for one's body (PA B = 4.02 [95% CI, 1.39 to 6.66]; PS B = -0.92 [95% CI, -1.84 to 0.00]), exercising (PA B = 3.19 [95% CI, 0.46 to 5.92]; PS B = -1.41 [95% CI, -2.40 to -0.43]), and engaging in healthy behaviors (PA B = 4.07 [95% CI, 1.28 to 6.84]; PS B = -1.01 [95% CI, -1.98 to -0.05]) were associated with higher PA and lower PS scores. In-person schooling had a greater impact on PA scores for youths with high ACEs (B = 5.55 [95% CI, 2.08 to 9.01]) than youths with low-to-intermediate ACEs (B = 1.27 [95% CI, 0.27 to 2.27]).

Conclusions and Relevance

These findings suggest that in-person schooling and several coping behaviors (caring for one's body, exercising, and engaging in healthy behaviors) were associated with significantly higher PA and lower PS during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents with high ACEs. Adolescents with high ACEs demonstrated especially greater mental health scores when they reported in-person schooling. Future studies should build on these findings to identify clinical and school-based mental health protective factors for adolescents with high ACE risk.

Parental socioeconomic status weakly predicts specific cognitive and academic skills beyond general cognitive ability

Parental socioeconomic status (SES) is a well-established predictor of children's neurocognitive development. Several theories propose that specific cognitive skills are particularly vulnerable. However, this can be challenging to test, because cognitive assessments are not pure measures of distinct neurocognitive processes, and scores across different tests are often highly correlated. Aside from one previous study by Tucker-Drob, little research has tested if associations between SES and cognition are explained by differences in general cognitive ability rather than specific cognitive skills. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), we tested if parental SES is associated with individual cognitive test scores after controlling for latent general cognitive ability. Data from three large-scale cohorts totalling over 16,360 participants from the UK and USA (ages 6-19) were used. Associations between SES and cognitive test scores are mainly (but not entirely) explained through general cognitive ability. Socioeconomic advantage was associated with particularly strong vocabulary performance, unexplained by general ability. When controlling for general cognitive ability, socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with better executive functions. Better characterizing relationships between cognition and adversity is a crucial first step toward designing interventions to narrow socioeconomic gaps. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Understanding environmental influences on cognitive development is a crucial goal for developmental science-parental socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors. Several theories have proposed that specific cognitive skills, such as language or certain executive functions, are particularly susceptible to socioeconomic adversity. Using structural equation modelling, we tested whether SES predicts specific cognitive and academic tests after controlling for latent general cognitive ability across three large-scale cohorts. SES moderately predicted latent general cognitive ability, but associations with specific cognitive skills were mainly small, with a few exceptions.

The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Bullying Victimization, and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Early Adolescents: Examining Cumulative and Interactive Associations

Both adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying victimization are linked with mental health problems in adolescents. However, little is known about the overlap between the two factors and how this impacts adolescent mental health problems (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems). The current study analyzed data from 8,085 participants (47.7% female; 44.1% racial/ethnic minority) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, baseline (2016-2018, ages 9-10 years) to Year 2. Regression analyses were used to estimate associations between ACEs, bullying victimization and mental health problems, respectively, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, country of birth, household income, parental education, and study site. The findings showed that both ACEs and bullying victimization were independently associated with higher internalizing and higher externalizing problems. However, no significant interaction was found between ACEs and bullying victimization. Overall, the results align with the cumulative risk model of adversity, linking cumulative ACEs and bullying victimization to internalizing and externalizing problems in early adolescents.

Social Media Use and Alcohol Sipping in Early Adolescents: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Social media can influence alcohol initiation behaviors such as sipping, which can lead to future adverse alcohol-related outcomes. Few studies have examined the role of problematic social media use, characterized by addiction, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse, especially in early adolescence.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prospective association between social media use and sipping alcohol in a nationwide sample of early adolescents, and the extent to which problematic social media use mediates the association.

METHODS

We analyzed prospective data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 7514; ages 9-10 years at baseline; 2016-2018) to estimate associations between social media time (Year 1) and alcohol sipping (Year 3) using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for confounders and testing problematic social media use (Year 2) as a mediator.

RESULTS

Social media time (Year 1) was prospectively associated with 1.31 (95% confidence interval 1.20-1.43) times higher risk of new-onset sipping (Year 3). The association between social media time and new-onset alcohol sipping was partially mediated by problematic social media use at Year 2 (25.0% reduction in the association between the former two factors after adding problematic social media use, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Time spent on social media was associated with a higher risk of alcohol sipping in a diverse national sample of early adolescents, and the association was partially mediated by problematic social media use. Media literacy education and family media use plans could advise early adolescents about exposure to alcohol content on social media and warning signs for problematic use.

Cognitive deficits and enhancements in youth from adverse conditions: An integrative assessment using Drift Diffusion Modeling in the ABCD study

Childhood adversity can lead to cognitive deficits or enhancements, depending on many factors. Though progress has been made, two challenges prevent us from integrating and better understanding these patterns. First, studies commonly use and interpret raw performance differences, such as response times, which conflate different stages of cognitive processing. Second, most studies either isolate or aggregate abilities, obscuring the degree to which individual differences reflect task-general (shared) or task-specific (unique) processes. We addressed these challenges using Drift Diffusion Modeling (DDM) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Leveraging a large, representative sample of 9-10 year-olds from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we examined how two forms of adversity-material deprivation and household threat-were associated with performance on tasks measuring processing speed, inhibition, attention shifting, and mental rotation. Using DDM, we decomposed performance on each task into three distinct stages of processing: speed of information uptake, response caution, and stimulus encoding/response execution. Using SEM, we isolated task-general and task-specific variances in each processing stage and estimated their associations with the two forms of adversity. Youth with more exposure to household threat (but not material deprivation) showed slower task-general processing speed, but showed intact task-specific abilities. In addition, youth with more exposure to household threat tended to respond more cautiously in general. These findings suggest that traditional assessments might overestimate the extent to which childhood adversity reduces specific abilities. By combining DDM and SEM approaches, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of how adversity affects different aspects of youth's cognitive performance. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: To understand how childhood adversity shapes cognitive abilities, the field needs analytical approaches that can jointly document and explain patterns of lowered and enhanced performance. Using Drift Diffusion Modeling and Structural Equation Modeling, we analyzed associations between adversity and processing speed, inhibition, attention shifting, and mental rotation. Household threat, but not material deprivation, was mostly associated with slower task-general processing speed and more response caution. In contrast, task-specific abilities were largely intact. Researchers might overestimate the impact of childhood adversity on specific abilities and underestimate the impact on general processing speed and response caution using traditional measures.

Maternal Tobacco Use During Pregnancy and Child Neurocognitive Development

Importance

Maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (MTDP) persists across the globe. Longitudinal assessment of the association of MTDP with neurocognitive development of offspring at late childhood is limited.

Objectives

To examine whether MTDP is associated with child neurocognitive development at ages 9 to 12 years.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study included children aged 9 and 10 years at wave 1 (October 2016 to October 2018) and aged 11 to 12 years at a 2-year follow-up (wave 2, August 2018 to January 2021) across 21 US sites in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Data were analyzed from June 2022 to December 2023.

Exposure

MTDP.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes of interest were neurocognition, measured by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery, and morphometric brain measures through the region of interest (ROI) analysis from structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI).

Results

Among 11 448 children at wave 1 (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [0.6] years; 5990 [52.3%] male), 1607 children were identified with MTDP. In the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, children with MTDP (vs no MTDP) exhibited lower scores on the oral reading recognition (mean [SE] B = -1.2 [0.2]; P < .001), picture sequence memory (mean [SE] B = -2.3 [0.6]; P < .001), and picture vocabulary (mean [SE] B = -1.2 [0.3]; P < .001) tests and the crystallized cognition composite score (mean [SE] B = -1.3 [0.3]; P < .001) at wave 1. These differential patterns persisted at wave 2. In sMRI, children with MTDP (vs no MTDP) had smaller cortical areas in precentral (mean [SE] B = -104.2 [30.4] mm2; P = .001), inferior parietal (mean [SE] B = -153.9 [43.4] mm2; P < .001), and entorhinal (mean [SE] B = -25.1 [5.8] mm2; P < .001) regions and lower cortical volumes in precentral (mean [SE] B = -474.4 [98.2] mm3; P < .001), inferior parietal (mean [SE] B = -523.7 [136.7] mm3; P < .001), entorhinal (mean [SE] B = -94.1 [24.5] mm3; P < .001), and parahippocampal (mean [SE] B = -82.6 [18.7] mm3; P < .001) regions at wave 1. Distinct cortical volume patterns continued to be significant at wave 2. Frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes exhibited differential ROI, while there were no notable distinctions in the occipital lobe and insula cortex.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, MTDP was associated with enduring deficits in childhood neurocognition. Continued research on the association of MTDP with cognitive performance and brain structure related to language processing skills and episodic memory is needed.

Physical and mental health in adolescence: novel insights from a transdiagnostic examination of FitBit data in the ABCD study

Adolescence is among the most vulnerable period for the emergence of serious mental illnesses. Addressing this vulnerability has generated interest in identifying markers of risk for symptoms and opportunities for early intervention. Physical fitness has been linked to psychopathology and may be a useful risk marker and target for early intervention. New wearable technology has made assessing fitness behavior more practical while avoiding recall and self-report bias. Still, questions remain regarding the clinical utility of physical fitness metrics for mental health, both transdiagnostically and along specific symptom dimensions. The current study includes 5007 adolescents (ages 10-13) who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study and additional sub-study that collected fitness data from wearable technology and clinical symptom measures. Physical fitness metrics included resting heart rate (RHR- an index of cardiovascular health), time spent sedentary (associated with increased inflammation and cardiovascular disease), and time spent in moderate physical activity (associated with increased neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and healthy neurodevelopment). Self-report clinical symptoms included measures of psychosis-like experiences (PLE), internalizing symptoms, and externalizing symptoms. Increased RHR- lower cardiovascular fitness- related only to greater internalizing symptoms (t = 3.63). More sedentary behavior related to elevated PLE severity (t = 5.49). More moderate activity related to lower PLE (t = -2.69) and internalizing (t = -6.29) symptom severity. Wearable technology fitness metrics linked physical health to specific mental health dimensions, which emphasizes the utility of detailed digital health data as a marker for risk and the need for precision in targeting physical health behaviors to benefit symptoms of psychopathology.

Sexual orientation and mental health in a US cohort of children: a longitudinal mediation study

BACKGROUND

Sexual minorities, including children, are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes compared to their heterosexual peers, but longitudinal studies are needed to determine the factors that explain the associations between sexual minority identification and adverse mental health outcomes during this developmental period. We examined longitudinal associations between sexual orientation and mental health over 2 years in a US cohort of children (aged 9-10 at baseline) and two explanatory factors (increased social problems such as getting teased and decreased perceived school safety). We hypothesized that beginning to identify as gay/bisexual and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual would be associated with increases in internalizing (e.g. depression, anxiety) and externalizing (e.g. aggression) problems compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual, and these associations would be partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety.

METHODS

We used data from Waves 1-3 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The analytic sample included 5,574 children (46.0% female; 55.1% non-Hispanic White).

RESULTS

Beginning to identify as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing/externalizing problems, and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing problems, compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual. For those who consistently identified as gay/bisexual, increased disparities in internalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety, and increased disparities in externalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest the health disparities affecting sexual minority children include both internalizing and externalizing problems, and social problems and feeling unsafe at school may be contributing factors.

Brain structural and functional signatures of multi-generational family history of suicidal behaviors in preadolescent children

Parent-child transmission of suicidal behaviors has been extensively studied, but the investigation of a three-generation family suicide risk paradigm remains limited. In this study, we aimed to explore the behavioral and brain signatures of multi-generational family history of suicidal behaviors (FHoS) in preadolescents, utilizing a longitudinal design and the dataset from Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®), which comprised 4 years of data and includes a total of 9,653 preadolescents. Our findings revealed that multi-generational FHoS was significantly associated with an increased risk of problematic behaviors and suicidal behaviors (suicide ideation and suicide attempt) in offspring. Interestingly, the problematic behaviors were further identified as a mediator in the multi-generational transmission of suicidal behaviors. Additionally, we observed alterations in brain structure within superior temporal gyrus (STG), precentral/postcentral cortex, posterior parietal cortex (PPC), cingulate cortex (CC), and planum temporale (PT), as well as disrupted functional connectivity of default mode network (DMN), ventral attention network (VAN), dorsal attention network (DAN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and cingulo-opercular network (CON) among preadolescents with FHoS. These results provide compelling longitudinal evidence at the population level, highlighting the associations between multi-generational FHoS and maladaptive behavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. These findings underscore the need for early preventive measures aimed at mitigating the familial transmission of suicide risk and reducing the global burden of deaths among children and adolescents.

Social epidemiology of the Mediterranean-dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet among early adolescents: the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of our study was to understand the relationship between sociodemographic factors and adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension] Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet in a demographically diverse national population-based sample of 9-12-year-olds in the US.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 1, N = 8333). Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to identify associations between MIND diet score and sociodemographic factors, including race/ethnicity, household income, parent education level, age, sex, and sexual minority status.

RESULTS

Compared to White adolescents, Latino adolescents showed the greatest adherence to the MIND diet. Boys had lower adherence to the MIND diet than girls. Lower household income was associated with lower adherence to the MIND diet. Older age was associated with lower adherence to the MIND diet. Sexual minorities had a lower adherence to the MIND diet when compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

DISCUSSION

Female sex, Latino ethnicity, Asian and Black race, high household income, heterosexual sexual orientation, and younger age were associated with higher adherence to the MIND diet. These sociodemographic differences can inform targeted screening and counseling for clinicians and public health organizations among diverse adolescent populations.

IMPACT STATEMENT

Sociodemographic disparities in diet quality have been documented, but none have explored adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension] Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet in early adolescence. In this demographically diverse sample of 9-12-year-old early adolescents in the U.S., we found notable and nuanced sociodemographic disparities in adherence to the MIND diet. Sociodemographic factors associated with higher adherence to the MIND diet included female sex, Latino ethnicity, high household income, heterosexual sexual orientation, and younger age.

Social epidemiology of early adolescent alcohol expectancies

PURPOSE

To determine the sociodemographic correlates of alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs regarding positive or negative effects of alcohol) in a national (U.S.) cohort of early adolescents 10-14 years old. A second aim was to determine associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,868; Year 2). Linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, household income, parental education, parent marital status, religiosity) and positive (e.g., stress reduction) and negative (e.g., loss of motor coordination) alcohol expectancies. Additional linear regression analyses determined associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 48.8% of the participants were female and 47.6% racial/ethnic minorities, with a mean age of 12.02 (SD 0.67) years. Older age among the early adolescent sample, male sex, and sexual minority identification were associated with more positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Black and Latino/Hispanic adolescents reported less positive and negative alcohol expectancies compared to White non-Latino/Hispanic adolescents. Having parents with a college education or greater and a household income of $200,000 and greater were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Alcohol sipping was associated with higher positive alcohol expectancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Older age, White non-Latino/Hispanic race, male sex, sexual minority status, higher parental education, and higher household income were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Future research should examine the mechanisms linking these specific sociodemographic factors to alcohol expectancies to inform future prevention and intervention efforts.

Cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in US early adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the association between cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in a national sample of 10-14-year-old early adolescents.

METHOD

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 2, 2018-2020, N = 10,258/11,875, 49% female, 46% non-White). Data were collected using multi-stage probability sampling. Modified Poisson regression analyses examined the association between cyberbullying and self-reported eating disorder symptoms based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5).

RESULTS

Cyberbullying victimization was associated with worry about weight gain (prevalence ratio [PR] 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-3.91), self-worth tied to weight (PR 2.08, 95% CI 1.33-3.26), inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain (PR 1.95, 95% CI 1.57-2.42), binge eating (PR 1.95, 95% CI 1.59-2.39), and distress with binge eating (PR 2.64, 95% CI 1.94-3.59), in models adjusting for potential confounders. Cyberbullying perpetration was associated with worry about weight gain (PR 3.52, 95% CI 1.19-10.37), self-worth tied to weight (PR 5.59, 95% CI 2.56-12.20), binge eating (PR 2.36, 95% CI 1.44-3.87), and distress with binge eating (PR 2.84, 95% CI 1.47-5.49).

DISCUSSION

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in early adolescence are associated with eating disorder symptoms. Clinicians may consider assessing for cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in early adolescence and provide anticipatory guidance.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Eating disorders often onset in adolescence and have among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder. In addition, cyberbullying has increased in prevalence among adolescents and significantly impacts mental health. In a national study of early adolescents, we found that cyberbullying victimization and perpetration are associated with eating disorder symptoms. Screening for and providing anticipatory guidance on cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in early adolescents may be warranted.

Can we diagnose mental disorders in children? A large-scale assessment of machine learning on structural neuroimaging of 6916 children in the adolescent brain cognitive development study

Background

Prediction of mental disorders based on neuroimaging is an emerging area of research with promising first results in adults. However, research on the unique demographic of children is underrepresented and it is doubtful whether findings obtained on adults can be transferred to children.

Methods

Using data from 6916 children aged 9-10 in the multicenter Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, we extracted 136 regional volume and thickness measures from structural magnetic resonance images to rigorously evaluate the capabilities of machine learning to predict 10 different psychiatric disorders: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder (BD), psychotic symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder. For each disorder, we performed cross-validation and assessed whether models discovered a true pattern in the data via permutation testing.

Results

Two of 10 disorders can be detected with statistical significance when using advanced models that (i) allow for non-linear relationships between neuroanatomy and disorder, (ii) model interdependencies between disorders, and (iii) avoid confounding due to sociodemographic factors: ADHD (AUROC = 0.567, p = 0.002) and BD (AUROC = 0.551, p = 0.002). In contrast, traditional models perform consistently worse and predict only ADHD with statistical significance (AUROC = 0.529, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

While the modest absolute classification performance does not warrant application in the clinic, our results provide empirical evidence that embracing and explicitly accounting for the complexities of mental disorders via advanced machine learning models can discover patterns that would remain hidden with traditional models.

Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Youth and Associated Gender Differences: A Directed Network Perspective

Psychopathology in youth is highly prevalent and associated with psychopathology in adulthood. However, the developmental trajectories of psychopathology symptoms, including potential gender differences, are markedly underspecified. The present study employed a directed network approach to investigate longitudinal relationships and gender differences among eight transdiagnostic symptom domains across three years, in a homogenous age sample of youth participants (n = 6,414; mean baseline age = 10.0 years; 78.6% White; Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study). Anxious/depressed problems and aggressive behaviors were central symptoms and most predictive of increases in other symptom clusters at later timepoints. Rule-breaking behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and withdrawn/depressed problems emerged as bridge symptoms between externalizing and internalizing problems. Results supported cascade models in which externalizing problems predicted future internalizing problems, but internalizing problems also significantly predicted future externalizing problems, which is contrary to cascade models. Network structure, symptom centrality, and patterns of bridge symptoms differed between female and male participants, suggesting gender differences in the developmental trajectories of youth psychopathology. Results provide new insights into symptom trajectories and associated gender differences that may provide promising pathways for understanding disorder (dis)continuity and co-occurrence. The central and bridge symptoms identified here may have important implications for screening and early intervention for youth psychopathology.

Social epidemiology of Fitbit daily steps in early adolescence

BACKGROUND

Sociodemographic disparities in adolescent physical activity have been documented but mostly rely on self-reported data. Our objective was to examine differences in device-based step metrics, including daily step count (steps d-1), by sociodemographic factors among a diverse sample of 10-to-14-year-old adolescents in the US.

METHODS

We analyzed prospective cohort data from Year 2 (2018-2020) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 6460). Mixed-effects models were conducted to estimate associations of sociodemographic factors (sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, household income, parental education, and parental marital status) with repeated measures of steps d-1 over the course of 21 days.

RESULTS

Participants (49.6% female, 39.0% racial/ethnic minority) accumulated an average of 9095.8 steps d-1. In mixed-effects models, 1543.6 more steps d-1 were recorded for male versus female sex, Black versus White race (328.8 more steps d-1), heterosexual versus sexual minority sexual orientation (676.4 more steps d-1), >$200,000 versus <$25,000 household income (1003.3 more steps d-1), and having married/partnered parents versus unmarried/unpartnered parents (326.3 more steps d-1). We found effect modification by household income for Black adolescents and by sex for Asian adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Given sociodemographic differences in adolescent steps d-1, physical activity guidelines should focus on key populations and adopt strategies optimized for adolescents from diverse backgrounds.

IMPACT

Sociodemographic disparities in physical activity have been documented but mostly rely on self-reported data, which can be limited by reporting and prevarication bias. In this demographically diverse sample of 10-14-year-old early adolescents in the U.S., we found notable and nuanced sociodemographic disparities in Fitbit steps per day. More daily steps were recorded for male versus female sex, Black versus White race, heterosexual versus sexual minority, >$100,000 versus <$25,000 household income, and having married/partnered versus unmarried/unpartnered parents. We found effect modification by household income for Black adolescents and by sex for Asian adolescents.

The social epidemiology of binge-eating disorder and behaviors in early adolescents

BACKGROUND

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder phenotype and is linked to several negative health outcomes. Yet, little is known about the social epidemiology of BED, particularly in early adolescence. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and BED and binge-eating behaviors in a large, national cohort of 10-14-year-old adolescents in the United States (U.S.) METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of two-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (2018 - 2020) that included 10,197 early adolescents (10 - 14 years, mean 12 years) in the U.S. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and BED and binge-eating behaviors, defined based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia.

RESULTS

In this early adolescent sample (48.8% female, 54.0% White, 19.8% Latino/Hispanic, 16.1% Black, 5.4% Asian, 3.2% Native American, 1.5% Other), the prevalence of BED and binge-eating behaviors were 1.0% and 6.3%, respectively. Identifying as gay or bisexual (compared to heterosexual; adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.25, 95% CI 1.01-5.01) and having a household income of less than $75,000 (AOR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.21-3.46) were associated with greater odds of BED. Being male (AOR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.06-1.55), of Native American (AOR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01-2.55) descent, having a household income less than $75,000 (AOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.65), or identifying as gay or bisexual (AOR for 'Yes' Response: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.31-2.91 and AOR for 'Maybe' Response: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.19-2.76) were all associated with higher odds of binge-eating behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Several sociodemographic variables showed significant associations with binge-eating behaviors, which can inform targeted screening, prevention, and education campaigns for BED among early adolescents.

A pattern of cognitive resource disruptions in childhood psychopathology

The Hurst exponent (H) isolated in fractal analyses of neuroimaging time series is implicated broadly in cognition. Within this literature, H is associated with multiple mental disorders, suggesting that H is transdimensionally associated with psychopathology. Here, we unify these results and demonstrate a pattern of decreased H with increased general psychopathology and attention-deficit/hyperactivity factor scores during a working memory task in 1,839 children. This pattern predicts current and future cognitive performance in children and some psychopathology in 703 adults. This pattern also defines psychological and functional axes associating psychopathology with an imbalance in resource allocation between fronto-parietal and sensorimotor regions, driven by reduced resource allocation to fronto-parietal regions. This suggests the hypothesis that impaired working memory function in psychopathology follows from a reduced cognitive resource pool and a reduction in resources allocated to the task at hand.

Sleep disorders predict the 1-year onset, persistence, but not remission of psychotic experiences in preadolescence: a longitudinal analysis of the ABCD cohort data

The relationship between sleep disorder and psychotic experiences in preadolescence has not been extensively studied despite the potential for intervention. The current study addressed this relationship using the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort, which provided baseline data from 11,830 10- to 11-year-old; for 4910 of these, 1-year follow-up data were also available. A set of pre-registered multi-level regression models were applied to test whether (a) sleep disorder is associated with psychotic experiences at baseline; (b) baseline sleep disorder predicts psychotic experiences at follow-up; (c) the persistence of sleep disorder predicts persistence of psychotic experiences at follow-up; d) the remission of sleep disorder predicts the remission of psychotic experiences at follow-up. After controlling for potential confounders, sleep disorder was associated with psychotic experiences cross-sectionally (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.20-1.63), at 1-year follow-up (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.11-1.57), and the persistence of sleep disorder predicted the persistence of psychotic experiences (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.44-2.04). However, remission of sleep problems did not predict remission of psychotic experiences (OR = 1.041, 95% CI 0.80-1.35). The results indicate that sleep disorders in preadolescence are common and associated with psychotic experiences, although the lack of co-remission raises questions about the mechanism of association. However, given these findings, and existing evidence in later adolescence and adults, further investigation of sleep as a preventative mental health intervention target in this age group is warranted.

Different patterns of intrinsic functional connectivity at the default mode and attentional networks predict crystalized and fluid abilities in childhood

Crystallized abilities are skills used to solve problems based on experience, while fluid abilities are linked to reasoning without evoke prior knowledge. To what extent crystallized and fluid abilities involve dissociated or overlapping neural systems is debatable. Due to often deployed small sample sizes or different study settings in prior work, the neural basis of crystallized and fluid abilities in childhood remains largely unknown. Here we analyzed within and between network connectivity patterns from resting-state functional MRI of 2707 children between 9 and 10 years from the ABCD study. We hypothesized that differences in functional connectivity at the default mode network (DMN), ventral, and dorsal attentional networks (VAN, DAN) explain differences in fluid and crystallized abilities. We found that stronger between-network connectivity of the DMN and VAN, DMN and DAN, and VAN and DAN predicted crystallized abilities. Within-network connectivity of the DAN predicted both crystallized and fluid abilities. Our findings reveal that crystallized abilities rely on the functional coupling between attentional networks and the DMN, whereas fluid abilities are associated with a focal connectivity configuration at the DAN. Our study provides new evidence into the neural basis of child intelligence and calls for future comparative research in adulthood during neuropsychiatric diseases.

Sex, gender diversity, and brain structure in children ages 9 to 11 years old

There remains little consensus about the relationship between sex and brain structure, particularly in childhood. Moreover, few pediatric neuroimaging studies have analyzed both sex and gender as variables of interest - many of which included small sample sizes and relied on binary definitions of gender. The current study examined gender diversity with a continuous felt-gender score and categorized sex based on X and Y allele frequency in a large sample of children ages 9-11 years-old (N=7693). Then, a statistical model-building approach was employed to determine whether gender diversity and sex independently or jointly relate to brain morphology, including subcortical volume, cortical thickness, gyrification, and white matter microstructure. The model with sex, but not gender diversity, was the best-fitting model in 75% of gray matter regions and 79% of white matter regions examined. The addition of gender to the sex model explained significantly more variance than sex alone with regard to bilateral cerebellum volume, left precentral cortical thickness, as well as gyrification in the right superior frontal gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, and several regions in the left parietal lobe. For mean diffusivity in the left uncinate fasciculus, the model with sex, gender, and their interaction captured the most variance. Nonetheless, the magnitude of variance accounted for by sex was small in all cases and felt-gender score was not a significant predictor on its own for any white or gray matter regions examined. Overall, these findings demonstrate that at ages 9-11 years-old, sex accounts for a small proportion of variance in brain structure, while gender diversity is not directly associated with neurostructural diversity.

Facets of impulsivity and reward in relation to binge-eating disorder course of illness among children: findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study

BACKGROUND

The present study examined facets of impulsivity and reward sensitivity [as measured by the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale and Behavioral Activation and Behavioral Inhibition Scales (BIS/BAS)] as multivariable predictors of subsequent binge-eating disorder (BED) course of illness in middle childhood.

METHODS

The current sample included children aged 9-10 years (N = 9,438) who took part in the baseline and 1-year follow-up assessments of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. BED course was operationalized as those who never developed BED or subthreshold BED (SBED) ('control'), were diagnosed with BED/SBED at year 1 but not baseline ('developers'), were diagnosed with BED/SBED at baseline but not year 1 ('remitters'), or were diagnosed with BED/SBED at both times ('maintainers').

RESULTS

Higher baseline BIS/BAS reward responsivity scores were related to the greater likelihood of belonging to the maintainer group relative to the control and remitter groups (ORs1.12-1.19). Regarding covariates, higher baseline body mass index percentile and internalizing symptoms were related to the greater likelihood of BED development, remittance, and maintenance compared to the control group (ORs = 1.04-1.14); no variables were uniquely related to BED development. Exploratory analyses showed that the likelihood of belonging to the maintainer group compared to the control group was greatest at higher levels of negative urgency in combination with high reward responsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Heightened reward responsivity may convey risk for poorer BED course in children, while emotional disorder symptomatology may act as a more general risk and maintenance factor for BED.

Psychiatric Diagnoses and Treatment in Nine- to Ten-Year-Old Participants in the ABCD Study

Objective

Psychiatric disorders commonly emerge prior to adulthood. Identification and intervention may vary significantly across populations. We leveraged a large population-based study to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and treatments, and evaluate predictors of treatment, in children ages 9-10 in the United States.

Method

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Developmental (ABCD) Study. The Computerized Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-COMP) was used to estimate clinical diagnoses, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Parents reported on prescription medications and other mental health interventions. Prevalence rates of KSADS diagnoses and treatments were calculated. Logistic regression analyses estimated associations between clinical and sociodemographic predictors (sex at birth, race, ethnicity, income, education, urbanicity) and treatments.

Results

The most common KSADS diagnoses were anxiety disorders, followed by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder. ADHD and depression diagnoses predicted stimulant and antidepressant medication use, respectively. Bipolar and ADHD diagnoses also predicted antidepressant medications, outpatient treatment and psychotherapy. The odds of reporting specific treatments varied by sex, ethnic and racial identities, urbanicity, and income.

Conclusion

Expected rates of KSADS-based psychiatric symptoms are present in the ABCD sample at ages 9-10, with treatment patterns broadly mapping onto psychopathology in expected ways. However, we observed important variations in reported treatment utilization across sociodemographic groups, likely reflecting societal and cultural influences. Findings are considered in the context of potential mental health disparities in U.S. children.

Longitudinal trajectories of childhood and adolescent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses in three cohorts

Background

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is usually conceptualized as a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder, in which symptoms either decrease steadily into adulthood or remain stable. A recent study challenged this view, reporting that for most with ADHD, diagnostic status fluctuates with age. We ask if such a 'fluctuating' ADHD symptom trajectory subgroup is present in other population-based and clinic-based cohorts, centered on childhood and adolescence.

Methods

Cohorts were the population-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD: N = 9735), Neurobehavioral Clinical Research (NCR: N = 258), and the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland (NKI-Rockland: N = 149). All participants had three or more assessments spanning different age windows. Participants were categorized into developmental diagnostic subgroups: fluctuant ADHD (defined by two or more switches between meeting and not meeting ADHD criteria), remitting ADHD, persisting ADHD, emerging ADHD and never affected. Data were collected between 2011 and 2022. Analyses were performed between May 2022 and April 2023.

Findings

A subgroup with fluctuant child and adolescent ADHD diagnoses was found in all cohorts (29.3% of participants with ADHD in ABCD, 26.6% in NCR and 17% in NKI-Rockland). While the proportion of those with fluctuant ADHD increased with the number of assessments, it never constituted the dominant subgroup.

Interpretation

We provide further evidence in three cohorts for the existence of a fluctuant ADHD diagnostic subgroup during childhood and adolescence, albeit in a minority of cases. Such fluctuant child and adolescent ADHD diagnoses may suggest a natural history more akin to relapsing-remitting mood disorders and/or a marked sensitivity to environmental shifts that occur across development.

Funding

Intramural programs of the NHGRI and NIMH.

Editorial: Shifting the Landscape of Child Psychiatric Epidemiology

The results of recent surveys that show high levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression have generated widespread concern about the mental health of US youth. Although such increases and their causes require immediate action, these symptoms alone do not indicate an epidemic of mental disorders in the US because they do not reflect mental disorders that are characterized by protracted duration and educational or social impairment. Unfortunately, there are no recent comparable data on the full range of common mental disorders. (e.g., Anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Major Depression, etc.) in nationally representative samples of US youth to provide a baseline for the reported increased distress in recent surveys. Therefore, we must rely on indirect information derived from surveys of subsets of symptoms and behaviors or of restricted age groups, and web-based samples with unknown biases and limited generalizability. This editorial describes how the findings from a recent report of prevalence of mental disorders in 9-10-year-old youths from the ABCD study can contribute to the national profile of mental disorders in youth. We highlight the need to address the lack of systematic data on youth emotional and behavioral disorders in the US through concerted efforts to coordinate the multi-agency sources of data on youth mental health. This will require harmonization of sampling and methods, informed application of internet-based tools based on systematic sampling and non-probability sampling methods and promotion of efforts to bridge the gap between population-based research and interventions at both the societal and individual levels.

Person-centred Approaches to Psychopathology in the ABCD Study: Phenotypes and Neurocognitive Correlates

Issues with classifying psychopathology using narrow diagnostic categories have prompted calls for the use of dimensional approaches. Yet questions remain about how closely dimensional approaches reflect the way symptoms cluster in individuals, whether known risk factors (e.g. preterm birth) produce distinct symptom phenotypes, and whether profiles reflecting symptom clusters are associated with neurocognitive factors. To identify distinct profiles of psychopathology, latent class analysis was applied to the syndrome scales of the parent-reported Child Behaviour Checklist for 11,381 9- and 10- year-olds from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Four classes were identified, reflecting different profiles, to which children were assigned probabilistically; Class 1 (88.6%) reflected optimal functioning; Class 2 (7.1%), predominantly internalising; Class 3 (2.4%), predominantly externalising; and Class 4 (1.9%), universal difficulties. To investigate the presence of a possible preterm behavioural phenotype, the proportion of participants allocated to each class was cross-tabulated with gestational age category. No profile was specific to preterm birth. Finally, to assess the neurocognitive factors associated with class membership, elastic net regressions were conducted revealing a relatively distinct set of neurocognitive factors associated with each class. Findings support the use of large datasets to identify psychopathological profiles, explore phenotypes, and identify associated neurocognitive factors.

Associations Between Preterm Birth, Inhibitory Control-Implicated Brain Regions and Tracts, and Inhibitory Control Task Performance in Children: Consideration of Socioeconomic Context

Preterm birth (PTB) is associated with increased risk for unfavorable outcomes such as deficits in attentional control and related brain structure alterations. Crucially, PTB is more likely to occur within the context of poverty. The current study examined associations between PTB and inhibitory control (IC) implicated brain regions/tracts and task performance, as well as the moderating role of early life poverty on the relation between PTB and IC-implicated regions/tracts/task performance. 2,899 children from the ABCD study were sampled for this study. Mixed effects models examined the relation between PTB and subsequent IC performance as well as prefrontal gray matter volume, white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD). Household income was examined as a moderator. PTB was significantly associated with less improvement in IC task performance over time and decreased FA in left uncinate fasciculus (UF) and cingulum bundle (CB). Early life poverty moderated the relation between PTB and both CB FA and UF MD.

Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Disorders in Children Aged 9 and 10 Years: Results From the ABCD Study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of current DSM-5 disorders in children, ages 9 to 10 years, and their associations with sociodemographic and physical characteristics.

METHOD

In this analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) first wave study data, current child mental disorders were based on the computerized parent version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for DSM-5 (N=11,874) supplemented with the child version for mood and selected anxiety disorders and with teacher Brief Problem Monitor ratings for the attention and externalizing scales. Child sociodemographic (race/ethnicity, nativity, parental marital status, parental education, family income) and physical characteristics (sex, pubertal stage, weight status, maternal age) were derived from parent report and anthropometric measurement. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) assessed associations with child mental disorders.

RESULTS

The prevalence of any current mental disorder was 10.11% including 11.48% among boys and 8.68% among girls. After controlling for several sociodemographic and physical characteristics, boys (OR=1.53; 95%CI=1.17-1.99), children from families with incomes below $25,000 (OR=2.05; 95%CI=1.31-3.22), incomes of $25,000-$49,000 (OR=1.90; 95%CI=1.20-3.00) ($75,000, reference) and obese children (OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.16-1.81) (healthy weight, reference) were at increased risk for any current child mental disorder. Children from the lowest family income group were at particularly high risk for ADHD (OR=3.86, 95%CI=1.69-8.79) and disruptive behavior behaviors (OR=4.13; 95%CI=1.86-9.15).

CONCLUSION

These patterns underscore the importance of strengthening service planning, preventive interventions, and etiological research focused on children from low income families.

Treatment of US Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Importance

Characterizing the extent and pattern of unmet needs for treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could help target efforts to improve access to ADHD medications and outpatient mental health care.

Objective

To describe current ADHD medication use and lifetime outpatient mental health care among a large national sample of children with ADHD.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This study uses cross-sectional survey data from the first wave of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (n = 11 723), conducted from June 1, 2016, to October 15, 2018, among 1206 school children aged 9 and 10 years who met parent-reported Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria for current ADHD. Statistical analysis was performed from March 23, 2022, to March 10, 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Current ADHD medications including stimulants and nonstimulants, lifetime outpatient mental health care, or either treatment. Weighted results are reported.

Results

Among a sample of 11 723 children, 1206 had parent-reported ADHD (aged 9-10 years; 826 boys [68.2%]; 759 White, non-Hispanic children [62.2%]), 149 (12.9%) were currently receiving ADHD medications. Children receiving ADHD medications included a significantly higher percentage of boys (15.7% [121 of 826]) than girls (7.0% [28 of 108]), White children (14.8% [104 of 759]) than Black children (9.4% [22 of 206]), children of parents without a high school education (32.2% [9 of 36]) than of parents with a bachelor's degree or higher (11.5% [84 of 715]), and children with the combined subtype of ADHD (17.0% [83 of 505]) than with the inattentive subtype (9.5% [49 of 523]). Approximately 26.2% of children (301 of 1206) with parent-reported ADHD had ever received outpatient mental health care. Children receiving outpatient mental health care included a significantly higher percentage of children whose parents had a high school education (36.2% [29 of 90]) or some college (31.0% [109 of 364]) than a bachelor's degree or higher (21.3% [153 of 715]), children with family incomes of less than $25 000 (36.5% [66 of 176]) or $25 000 to $49 999 (27.7% [47 of 174]) than $75 000 or more (20.1% [125 of 599]), and children with the combined subtype of ADHD (33.6% [166 of 505]) than with the predominantly inattentive subtype (20.0% [101 of 523]) or the hyperactive-impulsive subtype (22.4% [34 of 178]) of ADHD.

Conclusions and Relevance

This cross-sectional study of children with parent-reported ADHD suggests that most were not receiving ADHD medications and had never received outpatient mental health care. Gaps in treatment, which were not directly associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, underscore the challenges of improving communication and access to outpatient mental health care for children with ADHD.

Adverse childhood experiences and sipping alcohol in U.S. Children: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between accumulating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sipping alcohol in a large, nationwide sample of 9-to-10-year-old U.S. children. We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (2016-2018). Of 10,853 children (49.1 % female), 23.4 % reported ever sipping alcohol. A greater ACE score was associated with a higher risk of sipping alcohol. Having 4 or more ACEs placed children at 1.27 times the risk (95 % CI 1.11-1.45) of sipping alcohol compared to children with no ACEs. Among the nine distinct ACEs examined, household violence (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.13, 95 % CI 1.04-1.22) and household alcohol abuse (RR = 1.14, 95 % CI 1.05-1.22) were associated with sipping alcohol during childhood. Our findings indicate a need for increased clinical attention to alcohol sipping among ACE-exposed children.

Adverse childhood experiences and early adolescent cyberbullying in the United States

INTRODUCTION

With the increasing use of social media and online platforms among adolescents, the relationship between traumatic life events and cyberbullying remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cyberbullying victimization among a racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of early adolescents.

METHODS

We analyzed longitudinal data from 10,317 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, baseline (2016-2018, ages 9-10 years) to Year 2. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate associations between ACEs and cyberbullying victimization, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, country of birth, household income, parental education, and study site.

RESULTS

In the sample (48.7% female, 46.0% racial/ethnic minority), 81.3% of early adolescents reported at least one ACE, and 9.6% reported cyberbullying victimization. In general, there was a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and cyberbullying victimization, as two (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.85), three (AOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.57-2.74), and four or more (AOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.61-3.49) ACEs were associated with cyberbullying victimization in adjusted models. In models examining the specific type of ACE, sexual abuse (AOR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.26-4.11), physical neglect (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.24-2.09), and household mental health problems (AOR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.18-1.65) had the strongest associations with cyberbullying victimization.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents who have experienced ACEs are at greater risk for experiencing cyberbullying. Interventions to prevent cyberbullying could use a trauma-informed framework, including inter-peer interventions to break this cycle of trauma.

Ambient fine particulate exposure and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in 9- and 10-year-old children across the United States

Neuroimaging studies showing the adverse effects of air pollution on neurodevelopment have largely focused on smaller samples from limited geographical locations and have implemented univariant approaches to assess exposure and brain macrostructure. Herein, we implement restriction spectrum imaging and a multivariate approach to examine how one year of annual exposure to daily fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), daily nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and 8-h maximum ozone (O₃) at ages 9-10 years relates to subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in a geographically diverse subsample of children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study^℠. Adjusting for confounders, we identified a latent variable representing 66% of the variance between one year of air pollution and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture. PM_2.5 was related to greater isotropic intracellular diffusion in the thalamus, brainstem, and accumbens, which related to cognition and internalizing symptoms. These findings may be indicative of previously identified air pollution-related risk for neuroinflammation and early neurodegenerative pathologies.

Problematic social media use and alcohol expectancies in early adolescents

BACKGROUND

Alcohol expectancies are beliefs regarding positive (e.g., tension reduction) or negative (e.g., loss of motor coordination) effects of alcohol. Based on Social Learning Theory, social media can influence alcohol expectancies in adolescents. In particular, problematic social media use - which can reflect elements of addiction, including mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse - could be linked to alcohol expectancies. We aimed to determine the associations between problematic social media use and alcohol expectancies in a national (U.S.) cohort of 10-14-year-old early adolescents.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 9,008) at the Year 2 assessment (2018-2020). Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between problematic social media use and alcohol expectancies (positive and negative), adjusting for race/ethnicity, sex, household income, parent education, sexual orientation, parental marital status, and study site. Furthermore, we computed marginal predicted probabilities to aid in interpreting findings.

RESULTS

The sample was 48.7% female and racially and ethnically diverse (43.0% non-White), with a mean age of 12.02 ± 0.66 years old. In models adjusted for confounders including both time spent on social media and problematic social media use, time spent on social media was not associated with positive or negative alcohol expectancies, but higher problematic social media use score was associated with higher positive (B = 0.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.020-0.069) and negative (B = 0.072, 95% CI 0.043-0.101) alcohol expectancies scores.

CONCLUSION

Problematic social media use was associated with both positive and negative alcohol expectancies in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the U.S. Given the small effect sizes of the current study, future studies should further examine these relationships prospectively, as well as the mechanisms linking problematic social media use to alcohol expectancies and alcohol consumption. Because alcohol expectancies are modifiable and linked with alcohol initiation, they could be a target for future prevention efforts.

COVID-19 Policies, Pandemic Disruptions, and Changes in Child Mental Health and Sleep in the United States

IMPORTANCE

The adverse effects of COVID-19 containment policies disrupting child mental health and sleep have been debated. However, few current estimates correct biases of these potential effects.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether financial and school disruptions related to COVID-19 containment policies and unemployment rates were separately associated with perceived stress, sadness, positive affect, COVID-19-related worry, and sleep.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study was based on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study COVID-19 Rapid Response Release and used data collected 5 times between May and December 2020. Indexes of state-level COVID-19 policies (restrictive, supportive) and county-level unemployment rates were used to plausibly address confounding biases through 2-stage limited information maximum likelihood instrumental variables analyses. Data from 6030 US children aged 10 to 13 years were included. Data analysis was conducted from May 2021 to January 2023.

EXPOSURES

Policy-induced financial disruptions (lost wages or work due to COVID-19 economic impact); policy-induced school disruptions (switches to online or partial in-person schooling).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Perceived stress scale, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-Toolbox sadness, NIH-Toolbox positive affect, COVID-19-related worry, and sleep (latency, inertia, duration).

RESULTS

In this study, 6030 children were included in the mental health sample (weighted median [IQR] age, 13 [12-13] years; 2947 [48.9%] females, 273 [4.5%] Asian children, 461 [7.6%] Black children, 1167 [19.4%] Hispanic children, 3783 [62.7%] White children, 347 [5.7%] children of other or multiracial ethnicity). After imputing missing data, experiencing financial disruption was associated with a 205.2% [95% CI, 52.9%-509.0%] increase in stress, a 112.1% [95% CI, 22.2%-268.1%] increase in sadness, 32.9% [95% CI, 3.5%-53.4%] decrease in positive affect, and a 73.9 [95% CI, 13.2-134.7] percentage-point increase in moderate-to-extreme COVID-19-related worry. There was no association between school disruption and mental health. Neither school disruption nor financial disruption were associated with sleep.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

To our knowledge, this study presents the first bias-corrected estimates linking COVID-19 policy-related financial disruptions with child mental health outcomes. School disruptions did not affect indices of children's mental health. These findings suggest public policy should consider the economic impact on families due to pandemic containment measures, in part to protect child mental health until vaccines and antiviral drugs become available.

Morphometric dis-similarity between cortical and subcortical areas underlies cognitive function and psychiatric symptomatology: a preadolescence study from ABCD

Preadolescence is a critical period characterized by dramatic morphological changes and accelerated cortico-subcortical development. Moreover, the coordinated development of cortical and subcortical regions underlies the emerging cognitive functions during this period. Deviations in this maturational coordination may underlie various psychiatric disorders that begin during preadolescence, but to date these deviations remain largely uncharted. We constructed a comprehensive whole-brain morphometric similarity network (MSN) from 17 neuroimaging modalities in a large preadolescence sample (N = 8908) from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study and investigated its association with 10 cognitive subscales and 27 psychiatric subscales or diagnoses. Based on the MSNs, each brain was clustered into five modules with distinct cytoarchitecture and evolutionary relevance. While morphometric correlation was positive within modules, it was negative between modules, especially between isocortical and paralimbic/subcortical modules; this developmental dissimilarity was genetically linked to synapse and neurogenesis. The cortico-subcortical dissimilarity becomes more pronounced longitudinally in healthy children, reflecting developmental differentiation of segregated cytoarchitectonic areas. Higher cortico-subcortical dissimilarity (between the isocortical and paralimbic/subcortical modules) were related to better cognitive performance. In comparison, children with poor modular differentiation between cortex and subcortex displayed higher burden of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. These results highlighted cortical-subcortical morphometric dissimilarity as a dynamic maturational marker of cognitive and psychiatric status during the preadolescent stage and provided insights into brain development.

A genetically informed Registered Report on adverse childhood experiences and mental health

Children who experience adversities have an elevated risk of mental health problems. However, the extent to which adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) cause mental health problems remains unclear, as previous associations may partly reflect genetic confounding. In this Registered Report, we used DNA from 11,407 children from the United Kingdom and the United States to investigate gene-environment correlations and genetic confounding of the associations between ACEs and mental health. Regarding gene-environment correlations, children with higher polygenic scores for mental health problems had a small increase in odds of ACEs. Regarding genetic confounding, elevated risk of mental health problems in children exposed to ACEs was at least partially due to pre-existing genetic risk. However, some ACEs (such as childhood maltreatment and parental mental illness) remained associated with mental health problems independent of genetic confounding. These findings suggest that interventions addressing heritable psychiatric vulnerabilities in children exposed to ACEs may help reduce their risk of mental health problems.

Association of Physical Activity and Screen Time With Body Mass Index Among US Adolescents

IMPORTANCE

The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report identified important research gaps to inform future guidance for adolescents, including limited evidence on the importance of sedentary behaviors (screen time) and their interactions with physical activity for adolescent health outcomes, including overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the independent associations of physical activity and screen time categories, and the interactions between physical activity and screen time categories, with body mass index (BMI) and overweight and obesity in adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study collected from September 10, 2018, to September 29, 2020. Data were analyzed from July 8 to December 20, 2022. A total of 5797 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years from 21 racially and ethnically diverse study sites across the US were included in the analysis.

EXPOSURES

Categories of total step count per day (with 1000 to 6000 steps per day indicating low, >6000 to 12 000 steps per day indicating medium, and >12 000 steps per day indicating high), as measured by a wearable digital device (Fitbit), and categories of self-reported screen time hours per day (with 0 to 4 hours per day indicating low, >4 to 8 hours per day indicating medium, and >8 hours per day indicating high).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Participant BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared and converted into sex- and age-specific percentiles in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth curves and definitions. Individuals were classified as having overweight or obesity if their BMI was in the 85th percentile or higher for sex and age.

RESULTS

Among 5797 adolescents included in the analytic sample, 50.4% were male, 61.0% were White, 35.0% had overweight or obesity, and the mean (SD) age was 12.0 (0.6) years. Mean (SD) reported screen time use was 6.5 (5.4) hours per day, and mean (SD) overall step count was 9246.6 (3111.3) steps per day. In models including both screen time and step count, medium (risk ratio [RR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.12-1.37) and high (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.16-1.44) screen time categories were associated with higher overweight or obesity risk compared with the low screen time category. Medium (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.35) and low (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.11-1.51) step count categories were associated with higher overweight or obesity risk compared with the high step count category. Evidence of effect modification between screen time and step count was observed for BMI percentile. For instance, among adolescents with low screen use, medium step count was associated with a 1.55 higher BMI percentile, and low step count was associated with a 7.48 higher BMI percentile. However, among those with high screen use, step count categories did not significantly change the association with higher BMI percentile (low step count: 8.79 higher BMI percentile; medium step count: 8.76 higher BMI percentile; high step count: 8.26 higher BMI percentile).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cross-sectional study, a combination of low screen time and high step count was associated with lower BMI percentile in adolescents. These results suggest that high step count may not offset higher overweight or obesity risk for adolescents with high screen time, and low screen time may not offset higher overweight or obesity risk for adolescents with low step count. These findings addressed several research gaps identified by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report and may be used to inform future screen time and physical activity guidance for adolescents.

Contemporary screen time modalities and disruptive behavior disorders in children: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated associations between screen time and disruptive behavior disorders (conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder); however, prospective associations remain unknown. This study's objective was to determine the prospective associations of contemporary screen time modalities with conduct and oppositional defiant disorder in a national cohort of 9-11-year-old children.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,875). Modified Poisson regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between baseline child-reported screen time (total and by modality) and parent-reported conduct or oppositional defiant disorder based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5) at 1-year follow-up, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Participants reported an average of 4 hr of total screen time per day at baseline. Each hour of total screen time per day was prospectively associated with a 7% higher prevalence of conduct disorder (95% CI 1.03-1.11) and a 5% higher prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder (95% CI 1.03-1.08) at 1-year follow-up. Each hour of social media per day was associated with a 62% higher prevalence of conduct disorder (95% CI 1.39-1.87). Each hour of video chat (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.21, 95% CI 1.06-1.37), texting (PR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07-1.33), television/movies (PR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-1.25), and video games (PR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21) per day was associated with a higher prevalence of the oppositional defiant disorder. When examining thresholds, exposure to >4 hr of total screen time per day was associated with a higher prevalence of conduct disorder (69%) and oppositional defiant disorder (46%).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher screen time was prospectively associated with a higher prevalence of new-onset disruptive behavior disorders. The strongest association was between social media and conduct disorder, indicating that future research and interventions may focus on social media platforms to prevent conduct disorder.

Schooling substantially improves intelligence, but neither lessens nor widens the impacts of socioeconomics and genetics

Schooling, socioeconomic status (SES), and genetics all impact intelligence. However, it is unclear to what extent their contributions are unique and if they interact. Here we used a multi-trait polygenic score for cognition (cogPGS) with a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design to isolate how months of schooling relate to intelligence in 6567 children (aged 9-11). We found large, independent effects of schooling (β ~ 0.15), cogPGS (β ~ 0.10), and SES (β ~ 0.20) on working memory, crystallized (cIQ), and fluid intelligence (fIQ). Notably, two years of schooling had a larger effect on intelligence than the lifetime consequences, since birth, of SES or cogPGS-based inequalities. However, schooling showed no interaction with cogPGS or SES for the three intelligence domains tested. While schooling had strong main effects on intelligence, it did not lessen, nor widen the impact of these preexisting SES or genetic factors.

A multidimensional approach to understanding the emergence of sex differences in internalizing symptoms in adolescence

Women are more vulnerable to internalizing disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety). This study took an integrative developmental approach to investigate multidimensional factors associated with the emergence of sex differences in internalizing symptoms, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Indices of sex hormone levels (dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, and estradiol), physical pubertal development, task-based functional brain activity, family conflict, and internalizing symptoms were drawn from the ABCD study's baseline sample (9- to 10-year-old; N = 11,844). Principal component analysis served as a data-driven dimensionality reduction technique on the internalizing subscales to yield a single robust measure of internalizing symptoms. Moderated mediation analyses assessed whether associations between known risk factors and internalizing symptoms vary by sex. Results revealed direct and indirect effects of physical pubertal development on internalizing symptoms through family conflict across sexes. No effects were found of sex hormone levels or amygdala response to fearful faces on internalizing symptoms. Females did not report overall greater internalizing symptoms relative to males, suggesting that internalizing symptoms have not yet begun to increase in females at this age. Findings provide an essential baseline for future longitudinal research on the endocrine, neurocognitive, and psychosocial factors associated with sex differences in internalizing symptoms.

Continuity versus change in latent profiles of emotion regulation and working memory during adolescence

Significant structural and functional brain development occurs during early adolescence. These changes underlie developments in central neurocognitive processes such as working memory (WM) and emotion regulation (ER). The preponderance of studies modeling trajectories of adolescent brain development use variable-centered approaches, omitting attention to individual differences that may undergird neurobiological embedding of early life stress and attendant psychopathology. This preregistered, data-driven study used latent transition analysis (LTA) to identify (1) latent profiles of neural function during a WM and implicit ER task, (2) transitions in profiles across 24 months, and 3) associations between transitions, parental support, and subsequent psychopathology. Using two waves of data from the ABCD Study (Mage T1 = 10; Mage T2 = 12), we found three unique profiles of neural function at both T1 and T2. The Typical, Emotion Hypo-response, and Emotion-Hyper response profiles were characterized by, respectively: moderate amygdala activation and fusiform deactivation; high ACC, fusiform, and insula deactivation; and high amygdala, ACC, and insula response to ER. While 69.5 % remained in the Typical profile from T1 to T2, 27.8 % of the sample moved from one profile at T1 to another at T2. However, neither latent profiles nor transitions exhibited associations between parental support or psychopathology symptoms.

Adverse childhood experiences and binge-eating disorder in early adolescents

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common and linked to negative health outcomes. Previous studies have found associations between ACEs and binge-eating disorder (BED), though they have mainly focused on adults and use cross-sectional data. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between ACEs and BED in a large, national cohort of 9-14-year-old early adolescents in the US.

METHODS

We analyzed prospective cohort data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 10,145, 2016-2020). Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between self-reported ACEs and BED based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia at two-year follow-up, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, baseline household income, parental education, site, and baseline binge-eating disorder.

RESULTS

In the sample, (49% female, 46% racial/ethnic minority), 82.8% of adolescents reported at least one ACE and 1.2% had a diagnosis of BED at two-year follow-up. The mean number of ACEs was higher in those with a diagnosis of BED compared to those without (2.6 ± 0.14 vs 1.7 ± 0.02). The association between number of ACEs and BED in general had a dose-response relationship. One ACE (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-10.89), two ACEs (aOR 3.88, 95% CI 1.28-11.74), and three or more ACEs (aOR 8.94, 95% CI 3.01-26.54) were all associated with higher odds of BED at two-year follow-up. When stratified by types of ACEs, history of household mental illness (aOR 2.18, 95% 1.31-3.63), household violence (aOR 2.43, 95% CI 1.42-4.15), and criminal household member (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.23-3.73) were most associated with BED at two-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents who have experienced ACEs, particularly household challenges, have higher odds of developing BED. Clinicians may consider screening for ACEs and providing trauma-focused care when evaluating patients for BED.

Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adolescent Screen Time and Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To determine the associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), adolescent screen time, and physical activity during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Data (2016-2020) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study were analyzed. Linear regression analyses estimated associations between ACE score and screen time and physical activity in May 2020, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 6749 adolescent respondents primarily aged 12-13, 81.6% reported a history of one ACE or more. In adjusted models, a higher ACE score was significantly associated with greater hours per day of screen time, with youth with ≥4 ACEs associated with 2.3 more hours of screen time per day compared to youth with 0 ACEs. In addition, the adjusted models found that a higher ACE score was associated with lower physical activity; youth with ≥4 ACEs averaged 0.8 fewer hours per week of physical activity and 0.5 fewer days per week of 60 minutes of physical activity compared to youth with 0 ACEs. Gender and race were also significantly associated with changes in screen time and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs are associated with higher adolescent sedentary behaviors, particularly greater screen time, during the early COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020). Clinicians caring for youth exposed to trauma in the postpandemic environment should explore screen time and physical activity behaviors.

Social Epidemiology of Early Adolescent Cyberbullying in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among a racially, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population-based sample of 11-12-year-old early adolescents.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 2; N = 9429). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of birth, household income, parental education) and adolescent-reported cyberbullying victimization and perpetration.

RESULTS

In the overall sample, lifetime prevalence of cyberbullying victimization was 9.6%, with 65.8% occurring in the past 12 months, while lifetime prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration was 1.1%, with 59.8% occurring in the past 12 months. Boys reported higher odds of cyberbullying perpetration (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.01-2.92) but lower odds of cyberbullying victimization (AOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68-0.94) than girls. Sexual minorities reported 2.83 higher odds of cyberbullying victimization (95% CI 1.69-4.75) than nonsexual minorities. Lower household income was associated with 1.64 (95% CI 1.34-2.00) higher odds of cyberbullying victimization than higher household income, however household income was not associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Total screen time, particularly on the internet and social media, was associated with both cyberbullying victimization and perpetration.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one in 10 early adolescents reported cyberbullying victimization. Pediatricians, parents, teachers, and online platforms can provide education to support victims and prevent perpetration for early adolescents at the highest risk of cyberbullying.