Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101625
Natasha Duell , Gabriella M. Alvarez , Eva H. Telzer , Keely A. Muscatell
Racial and ethnic discrimination has lasting consequences for adolescent functioning, yet its impact on adolescent brain development is relatively understudied. Identifying the neural circuits affected by discrimination can reveal key insights into brain plasticity and resilience. This pre-registered, multi-method study examined the longitudinal effect of racial/ethnic discrimination on one indicator of executive function via resting state functional connectivity among 4669 adolescents of color (e.g., 44 % Latinx, 43 % Black, 13 % Asian, 8 % Native American) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. Further, we explored familism and school support as social-environmental buffers. Greater discrimination impeded adolescents’ performance on the Flanker test of selective attention and inhibitory control via longitudinal effects on connectivity between the attention networks, specifically among youth evincing low familism. Among adolescents reporting low school support, greater discrimination was associated with heightened dorsal attention—salience network connectivity. Findings offer initial evidence for the neurobiological processes impacted by discrimination and social-environmental strengths that may “break the link” between discrimination and brain function.
{"title":"Racial/ethnic discrimination shapes adolescent brain connectivity: Social buffers and implications for executive function","authors":"Natasha Duell , Gabriella M. Alvarez , Eva H. Telzer , Keely A. Muscatell","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Racial and ethnic discrimination has lasting consequences for adolescent functioning, yet its impact on adolescent brain development is relatively understudied. Identifying the neural circuits affected by discrimination can reveal key insights into brain plasticity and resilience. This pre-registered, multi-method study examined the longitudinal effect of racial/ethnic discrimination on one indicator of executive function via resting state functional connectivity among 4669 adolescents of color (e.g., 44 % Latinx, 43 % Black, 13 % Asian, 8 % Native American) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. Further, we explored familism and school support as social-environmental buffers. Greater discrimination impeded adolescents’ performance on the Flanker test of selective attention and inhibitory control via longitudinal effects on connectivity between the attention networks, specifically among youth evincing low familism. Among adolescents reporting low school support, greater discrimination was associated with heightened dorsal attention—salience network connectivity. Findings offer initial evidence for the neurobiological processes impacted by discrimination and social-environmental strengths that may “break the link” between discrimination and brain function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101625"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101638
Yanbin Niu , M. Catalina Camacho , Sanjana Ravi , Brandon Wallroff , Joshua Hageman , Jennifer Urbano Blackford , Kathryn L. Humphreys
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions, often emerging early in life and leading to substantial impairments across the lifespan. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays a central role in threat processing and anxiety regulation, yet its early functional connectivity profile and links to early signs of anxiety remain poorly understood. The current study investigates intrinsic functional connectivity of the BNST in 1-month-old infants using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and explores its longitudinal association with anxiety symptoms later in infancy. We observe that early in development the BNST exhibits intrinsic connectivity with key subcortical regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral striatum. However, connectivity patterns observed in human adults, including BNST–frontal cortex connectivity, were not observed in infants. Furthermore, weaker BNST–amygdala connectivity at 1 month was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms assessed at 18 months (β=-0.339, 95 % CI [-0.586, −0.093]), highlighting the potential role of early BNST connectivity in later anxiety-related behaviors. These findings provide the earliest evidence to date of BNST functional connectivity in human infancy and its prospective link to later anxiety symptoms, helping to fill a critical gap in our understanding of the early development of anxiety-related neural circuits.
{"title":"Intrinsic functional neurocircuitry of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in early infancy","authors":"Yanbin Niu , M. Catalina Camacho , Sanjana Ravi , Brandon Wallroff , Joshua Hageman , Jennifer Urbano Blackford , Kathryn L. Humphreys","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions, often emerging early in life and leading to substantial impairments across the lifespan. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays a central role in threat processing and anxiety regulation, yet its early functional connectivity profile and links to early signs of anxiety remain poorly understood. The current study investigates intrinsic functional connectivity of the BNST in 1-month-old infants using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and explores its longitudinal association with anxiety symptoms later in infancy. We observe that early in development the BNST exhibits intrinsic connectivity with key subcortical regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral striatum. However, connectivity patterns observed in human adults, including BNST–frontal cortex connectivity, were not observed in infants. Furthermore, weaker BNST–amygdala connectivity at 1 month was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms assessed at 18 months (<em>β</em>=-0.339, 95 % CI [-0.586, −0.093]), highlighting the potential role of early BNST connectivity in later anxiety-related behaviors. These findings provide the earliest evidence to date of BNST functional connectivity in human infancy and its prospective link to later anxiety symptoms, helping to fill a critical gap in our understanding of the early development of anxiety-related neural circuits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101638"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101623
Emma Renwick , Kristabel Stark , Emily Tan , Jenna Gonzalez , Alexis Brieant
Increasing representation of youth in developmental neuroscience research is essential to elucidating neurobiological mechanisms of cognition, behavior, and mental health. However, the field faces critical challenges in optimizing recruitment strategies and reducing barriers to participation among underrepresented populations. To examine these challenges and identify solutions, we employed a qualitative approach to assess barriers to research participation among a sample of adolescents. Data were drawn from semi-structured online focus groups with adolescents in a rural area of the United States. The sample included 20 participants (ages 13–18 years, 65 % female). A subset of questions addressed interest in research participation and potential barriers, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated five key themes: transportation, time, safety, caregiver involvement, and other barriers. Many participants highlighted their reliance on caregivers for transportation, as well as concerns about the overall time commitment of research participation. Misconceptions about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contributed to adolescents' hesitancy to participate. Many of these barriers are relevant across research settings, but may be especially salient for youth in rural communities, a population often underrepresented in developmental neuroscience research. Based on the data, we offer potential solutions such as community outreach and education, fair compensation, and community-based partnerships.
{"title":"Understanding barriers to adolescent participation in developmental neuroscience research","authors":"Emma Renwick , Kristabel Stark , Emily Tan , Jenna Gonzalez , Alexis Brieant","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101623","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increasing representation of youth in developmental neuroscience research is essential to elucidating neurobiological mechanisms of cognition, behavior, and mental health. However, the field faces critical challenges in optimizing recruitment strategies and reducing barriers to participation among underrepresented populations. To examine these challenges and identify solutions, we employed a qualitative approach to assess barriers to research participation among a sample of adolescents. Data were drawn from semi-structured online focus groups with adolescents in a rural area of the United States. The sample included 20 participants (ages 13–18 years, 65 % female). A subset of questions addressed interest in research participation and potential barriers, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated five key themes: transportation, time, safety, caregiver involvement, and other barriers. Many participants highlighted their reliance on caregivers for transportation, as well as concerns about the overall time commitment of research participation. Misconceptions about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contributed to adolescents' hesitancy to participate. Many of these barriers are relevant across research settings, but may be especially salient for youth in rural communities, a population often underrepresented in developmental neuroscience research. Based on the data, we offer potential solutions such as community outreach and education, fair compensation, and community-based partnerships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101623"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145234013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101639
Yixin Wang , Robbie Fraser , Laika Aguinaldo , Tam T. Nguyen-Louie , Fiona C. Baker , Susan F. Tapert , Kilian M. Pohl
Early cannabis initiation during youth is associated with elevated risk for harmful substance use, mental disorders, and cognitive impairments. To account for the complexity behind cannabis use initiation, we performed a data-driven analysis across 151 measurements spanning seven domains from the individual, microsystem, and exosystem level of influences: biobehavior, cognition, brain MRI, family, peer, neighborhood and legal factors. Data were from 450 cannabis-naïve youths from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) (baseline age: 12–21 years). Within an 8-year period, 292 transitioned to first use and 163 to weekly use of cannabis. Random Survival Forest predicted age of first onset (C-index = 0.68; 95 % CI: [0.65,0.71]) and weekly onset (C-index = 0.69; 95 % CI: [0.67–0.71]) with an accuracy significantly higher than chance (i.e., C-index = 0.5). Its prediction patterns consisted of factors from all three levels of influence. The predictive pattern of first onset comprised 13 factors across six domains including lower positive thinking during stress coping, which correlated with earlier use (R²=0.023, p = 0.0090). Three variables were shared with the predictive pattern of weekly use onset: cannabis outlet density, access to alcohol at home, and more positive social expectations of alcohol use forecasting earlier onset (Initial Use: R²=0.031, p = 0.0027; Weekly Use: R²=0.023, p = 0.0090). Weekly use onset was predicted by only four factors suggesting that while many influences contribute to a youth trying cannabis, only a few key factors appear to facilitate escalation to habitual use, some of which represent promising targets for prevention programs.
{"title":"Multi-level patterns predict cannabis use onset among youth","authors":"Yixin Wang , Robbie Fraser , Laika Aguinaldo , Tam T. Nguyen-Louie , Fiona C. Baker , Susan F. Tapert , Kilian M. Pohl","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early cannabis initiation during youth is associated with elevated risk for harmful substance use, mental disorders, and cognitive impairments. To account for the complexity behind cannabis use initiation, we performed a data-driven analysis across 151 measurements spanning seven domains from the individual, microsystem, and exosystem level of influences: biobehavior, cognition, brain MRI, family, peer, neighborhood and legal factors. Data were from 450 cannabis-naïve youths from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) (baseline age: 12–21 years). Within an 8-year period, 292 transitioned to first use and 163 to weekly use of cannabis. Random Survival Forest predicted age of first onset (C-index = 0.68; 95 % CI: [0.65,0.71]) and weekly onset (C-index = 0.69; 95 % CI: [0.67–0.71]) with an accuracy significantly higher than chance (i.e., C-index = 0.5). Its prediction patterns consisted of factors from all three levels of influence. The predictive pattern of first onset comprised 13 factors across six domains including lower positive thinking during stress coping, which correlated with earlier use (R²=0.023, <em>p = 0.0090</em>). Three variables were shared with the predictive pattern of weekly use onset: cannabis outlet density, access to alcohol at home, and more positive social expectations of alcohol use forecasting earlier onset (Initial Use: R²=0.031, <em>p = 0.0027</em>; Weekly Use: R²=0.023, <em>p = 0.0090</em>). Weekly use onset was predicted by only four factors suggesting that while many influences contribute to a youth trying cannabis, only a few key factors appear to facilitate escalation to habitual use, some of which represent promising targets for prevention programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101639"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145496731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101642
Alicja Brzozowska , Johanna Ruess , Regina Ori Stoeckl , Martina Arioli , Stefanie Hoehl
Research shows that the theta rhythm in infant electroencephalogram indexes learning processes and is a promising candidate for a marker of early cognitive development. However, a scarcity of studies investigating the stability of individual differences in theta activity in infancy, and a large variability in analytical approaches in existing research constrain the interpretations of research findings. In our large longitudinal study, we related three different indices of frontocentral theta activity (absolute and relative power, and an index of theta modulation by novel content) at 6 and 12 months to cognitive development level, language skills, and visual attention at 24 months. We found an increase in theta power over the course of novel information encoding at 6 and 12 months, replicating prior studies. Both absolute and relative theta power, but not theta modulation index, showed a large degree of stability in individual differences from 6 to 12 months. Finally, absolute theta power at 6 and 12 months was a positive predictor of the general cognitive level, but not of specific skills (selective attention, language) at 24 months. Of note, we observed similar effects for absolute power in the alpha frequency band, suggesting that the effects are not specific to the theta frequency band. Our results support the involvement of the theta rhythm in cognitive development in infancy and point to absolute power as the potentially most sensitive index of individual differences in theta activity.
{"title":"Theta activity as a marker of cognitive development in infancy: A longitudinal study across the first two years of life","authors":"Alicja Brzozowska , Johanna Ruess , Regina Ori Stoeckl , Martina Arioli , Stefanie Hoehl","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research shows that the theta rhythm in infant electroencephalogram indexes learning processes and is a promising candidate for a marker of early cognitive development. However, a scarcity of studies investigating the stability of individual differences in theta activity in infancy, and a large variability in analytical approaches in existing research constrain the interpretations of research findings. In our large longitudinal study, we related three different indices of frontocentral theta activity (absolute and relative power, and an index of theta modulation by novel content) at 6 and 12 months to cognitive development level, language skills, and visual attention at 24 months. We found an increase in theta power over the course of novel information encoding at 6 and 12 months, replicating prior studies. Both absolute and relative theta power, but not theta modulation index, showed a large degree of stability in individual differences from 6 to 12 months. Finally, absolute theta power at 6 and 12 months was a positive predictor of the general cognitive level, but not of specific skills (selective attention, language) at 24 months. Of note, we observed similar effects for absolute power in the alpha frequency band, suggesting that the effects are not specific to the theta frequency band. Our results support the involvement of the theta rhythm in cognitive development in infancy and point to absolute power as the potentially most sensitive index of individual differences in theta activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101642"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101599
Itziar Lozano , Anna Duszyk-Bogorodzka , Ingeborg Sophie Ribu , Natalia Falkiewicz , Wiktoria Ogonowska , Agnieszka Dynak , Franziska Köder , Przemysław Tomalski , Ewelina Fryzowska , Grzegorz Krajewski , Cecilie Rummelhoff , Elena C. Varona , Karolina Krupa-Gaweł , Lisa Laumann , Nina Gram Garmann , Ewa Haman
Semantic integration is a mechanism of lexical-semantic processing. When indexed by N400, it emerges coupled with the vocabulary spurt in the second year. To what extent maturation and language exposure contribute to its development remains unclear. Bilingual toddlers split their time between two languages. While experiencing similar concepts as monolinguals, bilinguals are less exposed to each language’s words. This makes them a key group to disentangle the relative contribution of maturation and language exposure in the emergence of semantic integration. We investigate (1) whether bilinguals follow the same developmental trajectory of semantic integration as monolinguals, and (2) whether semantic integration differs between bilinguals’ dominant and non-dominant languages across time. If language exposure drives semantic integration, we expect earlier timing of onset of semantic integration in monolinguals than bilinguals and language-dominance effects within bilinguals. In this event-related potential mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional study (N=131), bilingual and monolingual 18- and 24-month-olds were shown a picture-word priming-paradigm. We found N400 effect at 18 and 24 months in monolinguals. Bilinguals showed no evidence of N400 effect in either the dominant or non-dominant language at any time-point. Although the bilingual sample was smaller than planned, our results contribute to general neurodevelopmental and dual language acquisition models.
{"title":"The development of semantic integration in bilingual toddlers measured by N400","authors":"Itziar Lozano , Anna Duszyk-Bogorodzka , Ingeborg Sophie Ribu , Natalia Falkiewicz , Wiktoria Ogonowska , Agnieszka Dynak , Franziska Köder , Przemysław Tomalski , Ewelina Fryzowska , Grzegorz Krajewski , Cecilie Rummelhoff , Elena C. Varona , Karolina Krupa-Gaweł , Lisa Laumann , Nina Gram Garmann , Ewa Haman","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semantic integration is a mechanism of lexical-semantic processing. When indexed by N400, it emerges coupled with the vocabulary spurt in the second year. To what extent maturation and language exposure contribute to its development remains unclear. Bilingual toddlers split their time between two languages. While experiencing similar concepts as monolinguals, bilinguals are less exposed to each language’s words. This makes them a key group to disentangle the relative contribution of maturation and language exposure in the emergence of semantic integration. We investigate (1) whether bilinguals follow the same developmental trajectory of semantic integration as monolinguals, and (2) whether semantic integration differs between bilinguals’ dominant and non-dominant languages across time. If language exposure drives semantic integration, we expect earlier timing of onset of semantic integration in monolinguals than bilinguals and language-dominance effects within bilinguals. In this event-related potential mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional study (N=131), bilingual and monolingual 18- and 24-month-olds were shown a picture-word priming<del>-</del>paradigm. We found N400 effect at 18 and 24 months in monolinguals. Bilinguals showed no evidence of N400 effect in either the dominant or non-dominant language at any time-point. Although the bilingual sample was smaller than planned, our results contribute to general neurodevelopmental and dual language acquisition models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101599"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101595
Sneha Bhargava , Clara G. Zundel , MacKenna Shampine , Samantha Ely , Carmen Carpenter , Jennifer Losiowski , Shravya Chanamolu , Jovan Jande , Reem Tamimi , Kamakashi Sharma , Emilie O’Mara , Alaina M. Jaster , Hilary A. Marusak
Anxiety disorders affect 31.1 % of U.S. adults, with females exhibiting twice the prevalence of males. While sex differences are well-documented, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Advanced pubertal status is linked to increased anxiety symptoms in females but not males, suggesting puberty contributes to sex differences in fear-based disorders. Deficits in fear extinction and retention are implicated in anxiety, and prior research suggests sex hormones influence extinction retention. This study examined sex assigned at birth (parent-reported) and pubertal status (self-reported) on extinction retention in 101 youth (47.5 % female) using a Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm. Measures included self-reported anxiety symptoms, extinction retention, and neural activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
{"title":"Puberty, sex, and fear extinction retention: A neuroimaging study in youth","authors":"Sneha Bhargava , Clara G. Zundel , MacKenna Shampine , Samantha Ely , Carmen Carpenter , Jennifer Losiowski , Shravya Chanamolu , Jovan Jande , Reem Tamimi , Kamakashi Sharma , Emilie O’Mara , Alaina M. Jaster , Hilary A. Marusak","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety disorders affect 31.1 % of U.S. adults, with females exhibiting twice the prevalence of males. While sex differences are well-documented, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Advanced pubertal status is linked to increased anxiety symptoms in females but not males, suggesting puberty contributes to sex differences in fear-based disorders. Deficits in fear extinction and retention are implicated in anxiety, and prior research suggests sex hormones influence extinction retention. This study examined sex assigned at birth (parent-reported) and pubertal status (self-reported) on extinction retention in 101 youth (47.5 % female) using a Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm. Measures included self-reported anxiety symptoms, extinction retention, and neural activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101595"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-05DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101593
Iris Menu , Mark Duffy , Tanya Bhatia , Sofia Trapaga , Jenna John , Selma Music , Daelah Nicholas , Seyeon Yim , Moriah E. Thomason
Preterm birth can significantly impact cognitive development, particularly executive functions (EF). This study investigated hot (with emotional/motivational aspects) and cool (purely neutral/cognitive) EF trajectories in preterm and full-term children, examining brain-behavior relationships. It included 3508 participants aged 9–10 years (mean age 10.0 years) at baseline from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD®) study, evenly split between preterm and full-term births (54.36 % males; 1.05 % Asian American, 10.69 % Black, 15.68 % Hispanic, 61.57 % White, 11.09 % other). Participants were followed for 4 years, completing MRI scans and a cool EF task at baseline and at the 2-year follow-up, as well as hot/cool and hot EF tasks at the 1- and 3-year follow-ups. Linear mixed models showed varying effects of preterm birth across the different EF tasks. Specifically, preterm children showed persistent cool EF deficits and a catch-up pattern for hot EF, while performance on the hot/cool task showed no association with preterm birth. Brain-behavior bivariate latent change score analyses identified distinct bidirectional relationships in specific regions, suggesting altered cognitive-brain maturation interactions in preterm children. These findings highlight the complex nature of EF development following preterm birth: while cool EF deficits persist, hot EF shows catch-up growth in preterm children during early adolescence. This emphasizes the need for tailored interventions and long-term follow-up in this population.
{"title":"Large-scale examination of hot and cool executive function in children born preterm","authors":"Iris Menu , Mark Duffy , Tanya Bhatia , Sofia Trapaga , Jenna John , Selma Music , Daelah Nicholas , Seyeon Yim , Moriah E. Thomason","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Preterm birth can significantly impact cognitive development, particularly executive functions (EF). This study investigated hot (with emotional/motivational aspects) and cool (purely neutral/cognitive) EF trajectories in preterm and full-term children, examining brain-behavior relationships. It included 3508 participants aged 9–10 years (mean age 10.0 years) at baseline from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD®) study, evenly split between preterm and full-term births (54.36 % males; 1.05 % Asian American, 10.69 % Black, 15.68 % Hispanic, 61.57 % White, 11.09 % other). Participants were followed for 4 years, completing MRI scans and a cool EF task at baseline and at the 2-year follow-up, as well as hot/cool and hot EF tasks at the 1- and 3-year follow-ups. Linear mixed models showed varying effects of preterm birth across the different EF tasks. Specifically, preterm children showed persistent cool EF deficits and a catch-up pattern for hot EF, while performance on the hot/cool task showed no association with preterm birth. Brain-behavior bivariate latent change score analyses identified distinct bidirectional relationships in specific regions, suggesting altered cognitive-brain maturation interactions in preterm children. These findings highlight the complex nature of EF development following preterm birth: while cool EF deficits persist, hot EF shows catch-up growth in preterm children during early adolescence. This emphasizes the need for tailored interventions and long-term follow-up in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101593"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144569912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-30DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101610
Alexandra Brandstaetter , Andrea Gondová , Laurie Devisscher , Denis Rivière , Guillaume Auzias , Yann Leprince , Jessica Dubois
The sensorimotor system develops early in utero and supports the emergence of body representations critical for perception, action, and interaction with environment. While somatotopic protomaps are already developed in the primary somatosensory and motor cortices in late pregnancy, little is known about the anatomical substrates of this functional specialization. In this study, we aimed to decipher the microstructural properties of these regions in the developing brain. Using advanced diffusion MRI and post-processing tools, we parcellated the pre- and post-central gyri into microstructurally distinct clusters along the lateral-to-medial axis in 25 full-term neonates, confirming the early differentiation within sensorimotor regions. These clusters were further analyzed in 59 preterm infants scanned at term-equivalent age (TEA, PTTEA), of which 45 were also scanned near birth (PTBirth), and compared with another group of 59 full-term neonates. Applying a multivariate Mahalanobis distance approach, we quantified deviations in preterm cortical microstructure relative to the full-term reference. Preterm infants showed significant region- and position-specific deviations at both ages, though these were smaller at TEA (repeated-measures ANCOVA: PTBirth: region effect F=25.48, position effect F=16.06; PTTEA: region effect F=14.87, all p < 0.001), consistently with ongoing maturation during the pre-term period. Differences between the pre- and post-central gyri, and along the somatotopic axis, suggested differential vulnerability to prematurity. In particular, compared with somatosensory regions, the motor regions appeared to be at a more advanced stage of maturation close to birth (paired t-test, T = -4.388, p < 0.001) and less vulnerable at TEA (paired t-test, T = -4.169, p < 0.001), suggesting lesser impact of prematurity. An opposite pattern was observed, particularly close to birth, for lateral positions related to mouth representation compared with intermediary (paired t-test: T = 5.933, p < 0.001) and medial (paired t-test: T = 4.712, p < 0.001) positions. These findings support the notion that early sensorimotor cortical specialization is microstructurally emergent during gestation and sensitive to atypical developmental context of preterm birth.
{"title":"Differential microstructural development within sensorimotor cortical regions: A diffusion MRI study in preterm and full-term infants","authors":"Alexandra Brandstaetter , Andrea Gondová , Laurie Devisscher , Denis Rivière , Guillaume Auzias , Yann Leprince , Jessica Dubois","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101610","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101610","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sensorimotor system develops early in utero and supports the emergence of body representations critical for perception, action, and interaction with environment. While somatotopic protomaps are already developed in the primary somatosensory and motor cortices in late pregnancy, little is known about the anatomical substrates of this functional specialization. In this study, we aimed to decipher the microstructural properties of these regions in the developing brain. Using advanced diffusion MRI and post-processing tools, we parcellated the pre- and post-central gyri into microstructurally distinct clusters along the lateral-to-medial axis in 25 full-term neonates, confirming the early differentiation within sensorimotor regions. These clusters were further analyzed in 59 preterm infants scanned at term-equivalent age (TEA, PT<sub>TEA</sub>), of which 45 were also scanned near birth (PT<sub>Birth</sub>), and compared with another group of 59 full-term neonates. Applying a multivariate Mahalanobis distance approach, we quantified deviations in preterm cortical microstructure relative to the full-term reference. Preterm infants showed significant region- and position-specific deviations at both ages, though these were smaller at TEA (repeated-measures ANCOVA: PT<sub>Birth</sub>: region effect F=25.48, position effect F=16.06; PT<sub>TEA</sub>: region effect F=14.87, all p < 0.001), consistently with ongoing maturation during the pre-term period. Differences between the pre- and post-central gyri, and along the somatotopic axis, suggested differential vulnerability to prematurity. In particular, compared with somatosensory regions, the motor regions appeared to be at a more advanced stage of maturation close to birth (paired t-test, T = -4.388, p < 0.001) and less vulnerable at TEA (paired t-test, T = -4.169, p < 0.001), suggesting lesser impact of prematurity. An opposite pattern was observed, particularly close to birth, for lateral positions related to mouth representation compared with intermediary (paired t-test: T = 5.933, p < 0.001) and medial (paired t-test: T = 4.712, p < 0.001) positions. These findings support the notion that early sensorimotor cortical specialization is microstructurally emergent during gestation and sensitive to atypical developmental context of preterm birth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101610"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101589
Mackenzie E. Mitchell , Ashley J. Jaimes , Tehila Nugiel
In order to transition between a resting state and carrying out cognitively-demanding processes the brain makes a host of subtle changes to its network organization. In adults, less reconfiguration relates to better task performance, suggesting a preconfigured brain organization at rest is beneficial, such that only minute changes are required to execute task demands. Here, we take a developmental lens to this phenomenon, examining reconfiguration in late childhood by leveraging a large sample of 9–11 year olds from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. We find more reconfiguration between the resting state and two executive function tasks is related to better task performance. These relationships hold even when accounting for network segregation, though segregation was negatively related to reconfiguration. Reconfiguration was also related to crystallized intelligence, with diverging effects across tasks. Overall, these findings demonstrate that in contrast to adulthood during late childhood, before functional brain networks are fully mature, greater reconfiguration promotes successful task performance.
{"title":"Cognition is associated with task-related brain network reconfiguration in late childhood","authors":"Mackenzie E. Mitchell , Ashley J. Jaimes , Tehila Nugiel","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In order to transition between a resting state and carrying out cognitively-demanding processes the brain makes a host of subtle changes to its network organization. In adults, less reconfiguration relates to better task performance, suggesting a preconfigured brain organization at rest is beneficial, such that only minute changes are required to execute task demands. Here, we take a developmental lens to this phenomenon, examining reconfiguration in late childhood by leveraging a large sample of 9–11 year olds from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. We find more reconfiguration between the resting state and two executive function tasks is related to better task performance. These relationships hold even when accounting for network segregation, though segregation was negatively related to reconfiguration. Reconfiguration was also related to crystallized intelligence, with diverging effects across tasks. Overall, these findings demonstrate that in contrast to adulthood during late childhood, before functional brain networks are fully mature, greater reconfiguration promotes successful task performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101589"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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