Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-25DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101600
Lydia Lewis, Bria Gresham, Amy Riegelman, Ka I Ip
The neighborhood context is increasingly recognized as a significant determinant of health. Advances in geospatial analysis and neuroimaging have facilitated an emerging field of research investigating how neighborhood conditions influence brain development. We conducted a systematic review, identifying 37 studies that examined associations between neighborhood conditions and brain structure in children and adolescents. We highlight key findings and research gaps across multiple domains of neighborhood conditions - socioeconomic status, demographic composition, social environment, built environment, physical environment, and health resources. Our review suggests that adverse neighborhood socioeconomic conditions are linked to structural brain differences, including reduced brain volume and white matter, and smaller surface areas. Additionally, observed race-related disparities in brain structures may be partially explained by residence in low-resourced neighborhoods, underscoring the role of structural inequities in shaping neurodevelopment. The majority of studies relied on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study dataset, limiting the generalizability of findings. Critically, neighborhood conditions beyond socioeconomic status remain understudied, offering opportunities for future research to examine how positive conditions (e.g., social cohesion, greenspace, health resources) may foster neurodevelopment. This review emphasizes the urgent need for policies to reduce structural inequities while leveraging protective neighborhood conditions to promote equity and youth neurodevelopment.
{"title":"Neighborhood conditions and neurodevelopment: A systematic review of brain structure in children and adolescents.","authors":"Lydia Lewis, Bria Gresham, Amy Riegelman, Ka I Ip","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101600","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The neighborhood context is increasingly recognized as a significant determinant of health. Advances in geospatial analysis and neuroimaging have facilitated an emerging field of research investigating how neighborhood conditions influence brain development. We conducted a systematic review, identifying 37 studies that examined associations between neighborhood conditions and brain structure in children and adolescents. We highlight key findings and research gaps across multiple domains of neighborhood conditions - socioeconomic status, demographic composition, social environment, built environment, physical environment, and health resources. Our review suggests that adverse neighborhood socioeconomic conditions are linked to structural brain differences, including reduced brain volume and white matter, and smaller surface areas. Additionally, observed race-related disparities in brain structures may be partially explained by residence in low-resourced neighborhoods, underscoring the role of structural inequities in shaping neurodevelopment. The majority of studies relied on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study dataset, limiting the generalizability of findings. Critically, neighborhood conditions beyond socioeconomic status remain understudied, offering opportunities for future research to examine how positive conditions (e.g., social cohesion, greenspace, health resources) may foster neurodevelopment. This review emphasizes the urgent need for policies to reduce structural inequities while leveraging protective neighborhood conditions to promote equity and youth neurodevelopment.</p>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"75 ","pages":"101600"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12355507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144805151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101617
Benjamin M. Rosenberg , João F. Guassi Moreira , Adriana S. Méndez Leal , Natalie M. Saragosa-Harris , Elizabeth Gaines , Wesley J. Meredith , Clare F. McCann , Saché M. Coury , Yael Waizman , Emilia Ninova , Jennifer A. Silvers
Institutionalization is a profound form of early adversity that is associated with increased risk for internalizing disorders, which most commonly have their onset during adolescence. Developmental models emphasize how differences in childhood learning contribute to avoidance behaviors, a core pathway linking adversity to internalizing disorders. Yet, little empirical research has tested this theory. 43 previously institutionalized (PI; 12.1–22.8 years) and 47 comparison (9.9–22.9 years) youth completed an aversive learning task while undergoing fMRI. The task involved an escapable stimulus reinforced with an aversive sound (CS+r), the same stimulus without reinforcement (CS+nr), and an escapable stimulus that was never reinforced (CS-). Internalizing symptoms were measured using the parent-report Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales. Functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala was elevated among the PI versus comparison youth across stimuli (p = .036). Exploratory analyses found that NAcc-amygdala connectivity was elevated among the PI youth during early adolescence relative to late adolescence (p = .009). Institutionalization may impact neurodevelopment in ways that increase responsiveness of threat neurocircuitry across threatening and safe stimuli. Differences in NAcc-amygdala functional connectivity may attenuate with age following adoption.
{"title":"Previous institutionalization is associated with elevated functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and amygdala during aversive learning","authors":"Benjamin M. Rosenberg , João F. Guassi Moreira , Adriana S. Méndez Leal , Natalie M. Saragosa-Harris , Elizabeth Gaines , Wesley J. Meredith , Clare F. McCann , Saché M. Coury , Yael Waizman , Emilia Ninova , Jennifer A. Silvers","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Institutionalization is a profound form of early adversity that is associated with increased risk for internalizing disorders, which most commonly have their onset during adolescence. Developmental models emphasize how differences in childhood learning contribute to avoidance behaviors, a core pathway linking adversity to internalizing disorders. Yet, little empirical research has tested this theory. 43 previously institutionalized (PI; 12.1–22.8 years) and 47 comparison (9.9–22.9 years) youth completed an aversive learning task while undergoing fMRI. The task involved an escapable stimulus reinforced with an aversive sound (CS+<sub>r</sub>), the same stimulus without reinforcement (CS+<sub>nr</sub>), and an escapable stimulus that was never reinforced (CS-). Internalizing symptoms were measured using the parent-report Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales. Functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala was elevated among the PI versus comparison youth across stimuli (<em>p</em> = .036). Exploratory analyses found that NAcc-amygdala connectivity was elevated among the PI youth during early adolescence relative to late adolescence (<em>p</em> = .009). Institutionalization may impact neurodevelopment in ways that increase responsiveness of threat neurocircuitry across threatening and safe stimuli. Differences in NAcc-amygdala functional connectivity may attenuate with age following adoption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101617"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201894","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101619
Anna Blasi Ribera , Borja Blanco Maniega , Samantha McCann , Ebrima Mbye , Ebou Touray , Maria Rozhko , Bosiljka Milosavljevic , Laura Katus , Mariama Saidykhan , Muhammed Ceesay , Tijan Fadera , Giulia Ghillia , Marta Perapoch Amado , Maria M. Crespo-Llado , Sophie E. Moore , Clare E. Elwell , Sarah Lloyd-Fox , The BRIGHT Project team
As infants and young children learn from and respond to their environment, their development is driven by their ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli and respond to salient stimuli. While sources and types of stimuli vary across cultural contexts, research to understand the neural mechanisms of these behaviors have largely focused on relatively homogeneous populations in high income settings. To address this lack of diverse representation the Brain Imaging for Global health project (BRIGHT) collected longitudinal data in The Gambia (N = 204) and the UK (N = 61). Here we present results of the Habituation and Novelty Detection (HaND) fNIRS neuroimaging task. Gambian infants showed persistent response suppression (Habituation) at all visits (from 5mo to 60mo) while Novelty Detection was only observed once infants reached 18 and 24mo. In the UK, infants only showed persistent habituation from 5 to 12mo, while the response was not evident at 18 and 24mo. Furthermore, in contrast to The Gambia, alongside the habituation patterns observed Uk infants showed novelty detection from 5 to 12mo. This is the first longitudinal description of the HaND response in individuals from different contextual backgrounds across such a broad age range and number of time points, revealing different patterns of specialization in The Gambia and UK.
{"title":"Longitudinal habituation and novelty detection neural responses from infancy to early childhood in The Gambia and UK","authors":"Anna Blasi Ribera , Borja Blanco Maniega , Samantha McCann , Ebrima Mbye , Ebou Touray , Maria Rozhko , Bosiljka Milosavljevic , Laura Katus , Mariama Saidykhan , Muhammed Ceesay , Tijan Fadera , Giulia Ghillia , Marta Perapoch Amado , Maria M. Crespo-Llado , Sophie E. Moore , Clare E. Elwell , Sarah Lloyd-Fox , The BRIGHT Project team","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As infants and young children learn from and respond to their environment, their development is driven by their ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli and respond to salient stimuli. While sources and types of stimuli vary across cultural contexts, research to understand the neural mechanisms of these behaviors have largely focused on relatively homogeneous populations in high income settings. To address this lack of diverse representation the Brain Imaging for Global health project (BRIGHT) collected longitudinal data in The Gambia (N = 204) and the UK (N = 61). Here we present results of the Habituation and Novelty Detection (HaND) fNIRS neuroimaging task. Gambian infants showed persistent response suppression (Habituation) at all visits (from 5mo to 60mo) while Novelty Detection was only observed once infants reached 18 and 24mo. In the UK, infants only showed persistent habituation from 5 to 12mo, while the response was not evident at 18 and 24mo. Furthermore, in contrast to The Gambia, alongside the habituation patterns observed Uk infants showed novelty detection from 5 to 12mo. This is the first longitudinal description of the HaND response in individuals from different contextual backgrounds across such a broad age range and number of time points, revealing different patterns of specialization in The Gambia and UK.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101619"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214094","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101620
Caitlyn R. Cody , Rebecca R. Hennessy , Heather C. Brenhouse, Juliet Y. Davidow
Adolescence is a dynamic time period, marked by significant neural and behavioral maturation. However, much remains unknown about how this maturation alters the way anxiety is expressed in this population, or how similar behavioral patterns may arise from divergent neural underpinnings. This translational review describes key differences between adolescent and adult manifestation of anxiety in rodents and humans. We suggest potential underlying developmental mechanisms in behavior and the brain across species that may contribute to age-related differences. We focus on cognitive factors that play a role in or are impaired by anxiety within three domains: fear, reward, and attentional processing. We review how and to what degree these processes and their interactions with anxiety manifest in youth compared to adults, and where known, with underlying neural circuits across species. Therefore, this review aims to provide insight into the translational neural and behavioral developmental nuances of anxiety in order to encourage further anxiety research utilizing adolescent humans and rodents.
{"title":"Understanding adolescent anxiety through a neurodevelopmental lens: A comparative review of rodents and humans","authors":"Caitlyn R. Cody , Rebecca R. Hennessy , Heather C. Brenhouse, Juliet Y. Davidow","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adolescence is a dynamic time period, marked by significant neural and behavioral maturation. However, much remains unknown about how this maturation alters the way anxiety is expressed in this population, or how similar behavioral patterns may arise from divergent neural underpinnings. This translational review describes key differences between adolescent and adult manifestation of anxiety in rodents and humans. We suggest potential underlying developmental mechanisms in behavior and the brain across species that may contribute to age-related differences. We focus on cognitive factors that play a role in or are impaired by anxiety within three domains: fear, reward, and attentional processing. We review how and to what degree these processes and their interactions with anxiety manifest in youth compared to adults, and where known, with underlying neural circuits across species. Therefore, this review aims to provide insight into the translational neural and behavioral developmental nuances of anxiety in order to encourage further anxiety research utilizing adolescent humans and rodents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101620"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222045","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101621
Natalie G. Frye , Tehila Nugiel , Gabriella M. Alvarez , Mitch J. Prinstein , Jessica R. Cohen , Eva H. Telzer , Kristen A. Lindquist
The present study examines the role of brain network organization in the prospective prediction of adolescent depressive symptoms and links to the social and psychological context. Using a path model with data from a larger longitudinal study of adolescents beginning in 6th-8th grade (N = 117, 55 % female, Mage at scan= 12.99), we first established that organizational properties of brain networks theoretically linked to depression predicted greater depressive symptoms two years later. Specifically, when controlling for gender and initial depression, greater global efficiency of the allostatic interoceptive network (AIN) and greater segregation of the frontoparietal network (FPN) from the salience network (SN) predicted depressive symptoms an average of two years later. Linking these neural findings to psychological individual differences, we found that self-reported rumination mediated the effect of AIN global efficiency on prospective depressive symptoms. We further linked these neural findings to the social context by demonstrating that greater self-reported relational peer victimization prospectively predicted AIN global efficiency. Collectively, these findings situate the emergence of adolescent depressive symptoms as a confluence of brain organization properties, perceived social rejection, and individual differences in rumination.
{"title":"Functional organization of the allostatic interoceptive network in adolescence: Links to peer victimization and prospective depressive symptoms","authors":"Natalie G. Frye , Tehila Nugiel , Gabriella M. Alvarez , Mitch J. Prinstein , Jessica R. Cohen , Eva H. Telzer , Kristen A. Lindquist","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study examines the role of brain network organization in the prospective prediction of adolescent depressive symptoms and links to the social and psychological context. Using a path model with data from a larger longitudinal study of adolescents beginning in 6th-8th grade (N = 117, 55 % female, M<sub>age at scan</sub>= 12.99), we first established that organizational properties of brain networks theoretically linked to depression predicted greater depressive symptoms two years later. Specifically, when controlling for gender and initial depression, greater global efficiency of the allostatic interoceptive network (AIN) and greater segregation of the frontoparietal network (FPN) from the salience network (SN) predicted depressive symptoms an average of two years later. Linking these neural findings to psychological individual differences, we found that self-reported rumination mediated the effect of AIN global efficiency on prospective depressive symptoms. We further linked these neural findings to the social context by demonstrating that greater self-reported relational peer victimization prospectively predicted AIN global efficiency. Collectively, these findings situate the emergence of adolescent depressive symptoms as a confluence of brain organization properties, perceived social rejection, and individual differences in rumination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101621"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207951","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101618
Selina Pacheco , Silvia A. Bunge , Monica E. Ellwood-Lowe
Childhood family income is a powerful predictor of academic achievement and mental health. Here, we ask whether children living in poverty who succeed academically are subsequently protected from, or at risk for, internalizing symptoms. Prior research indicates that children in poverty with better academic performance tend to have higher temporal coupling between the Lateral Frontoparietal Network (LFPN) and Default Mode Network (DMN) than lower-performing children in poverty. An open question is whether higher LFPN-DMN coupling has maladaptive long-term consequences for mental health for this population. In this pre-registered longitudinal study, we analyzed data from 10,829 children (1931 in poverty) in the ABCD study across four time points (ages 9–13). Higher grades correlated with fewer internalizing symptoms concurrently; this association was more pronounced for children below poverty. Longitudinally, higher LFPN-DMN related to more internalizing symptoms two years later for children in poverty in particular. Thus, although higher academic performance was associated with better mental health outcomes for all children, the specific pattern of LFPN-DMN connectivity that supports academic resilience among children in poverty may be a risk factor for developing internalizing symptoms. These findings highlight the complex nature of academic resilience in the context of structural inequity.
{"title":"Academic success and mental health: The paradox of Frontoparietal‐Default Mode Network coupling among children facing poverty","authors":"Selina Pacheco , Silvia A. Bunge , Monica E. Ellwood-Lowe","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Childhood family income is a powerful predictor of academic achievement and mental health. Here, we ask whether children living in poverty who succeed academically are subsequently protected from, or at risk for, internalizing symptoms. Prior research indicates that children in poverty with better academic performance tend to have higher temporal coupling between the Lateral Frontoparietal Network (LFPN) and Default Mode Network (DMN) than lower-performing children in poverty. An open question is whether higher LFPN-DMN coupling has maladaptive long-term consequences for mental health for this population. In this pre-registered longitudinal study, we analyzed data from 10,829 children (1931 in poverty) in the ABCD study across four time points (ages 9–13). Higher grades correlated with fewer internalizing symptoms concurrently; this association was more pronounced for children below poverty. Longitudinally, higher LFPN-DMN related to more internalizing symptoms two years later for children in poverty in particular. Thus, although higher academic performance was associated with better mental health outcomes for all children, the specific pattern of LFPN-DMN connectivity that supports academic resilience among children in poverty may be a risk factor for developing internalizing symptoms. These findings highlight the complex nature of academic resilience in the context of structural inequity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101618"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222044","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 : 2025-09-19DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101614
Megan J. Heise , Serena K. Mon , Lindsay C. Bowman
Linear mixed effects models (LMEs) have advantages for analyzing mean amplitude event-related potential (ERP) data. Compared to ANOVA and linear regression, LMEs retain more subjects and yield unbiased parameter estimates by accounting for trial-level sources of variability. However, LME analysis of ERP mean amplitude difference waves may be problematic due to the need to pair single trial data to create trial-level difference waves. In both simulated and real pediatric ERP data, the present study compares ERP difference wave results across conventional ANOVA/regression analyses and six trial-level LME approaches in different low trial-count scenarios. We evaluate each approach based on accuracy of estimates and statistical power in simulated data, and magnitude of effect detected in real ERP data from 3- to 5-year-old neurotypical children (N = 64). Two analysis approaches were unbiased: creating trial-level difference waves by pairing trials on all study design features (the ‘exact match’ approach) and fitting an interaction term; and the interaction term had greater power to detect a significant effect in simulated data. Both simulations and analysis of real preschooler ERP data support using LMEs to analyze difference waves. We also include recommendations for researchers for picking a difference wave approach appropriate for their research question.
{"title":"Analysis of event-related potential difference waves can benefit from linear mixed effects modeling: Recommendations for analyses and general model fitting","authors":"Megan J. Heise , Serena K. Mon , Lindsay C. Bowman","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Linear mixed effects models (LMEs) have advantages for analyzing mean amplitude event-related potential (ERP) data. Compared to ANOVA and linear regression, LMEs retain more subjects and yield unbiased parameter estimates by accounting for trial-level sources of variability. However, LME analysis of ERP mean amplitude <em>difference waves</em> may be problematic due to the need to pair single trial data to create trial-level difference waves. In both simulated and real pediatric ERP data, the present study compares ERP difference wave results across conventional ANOVA/regression analyses and six trial-level LME approaches in different low trial-count scenarios. We evaluate each approach based on accuracy of estimates and statistical power in simulated data, and magnitude of effect detected in real ERP data from 3- to 5-year-old neurotypical children (<em>N</em> = 64). Two analysis approaches were unbiased: creating trial-level difference waves by pairing trials on all study design features (the ‘exact match’ approach) and fitting an interaction term; and the interaction term had greater power to detect a significant effect in simulated data. Both simulations and analysis of real preschooler ERP data support using LMEs to analyze difference waves. We also include recommendations for researchers for picking a difference wave approach appropriate for their research question.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101614"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145304152","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 : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101613
Liwen Yu , Meng Dai , Pei Huang , Birit F.P. Broekman , Michael Meaney , Yap Seng Chong , Marielle Valerie Fortier , Peipei Setoh , Henning Tiemeier , Ai Peng Tan , Xiao Pan Ding
The neural mechanisms related to children’s deceptive behaviors remain relatively unexplored. This study aims to address this gap by using measures of functional brain network topology, focusing on the cognitive control and reward processing networks that are closely related to children’s deceptive behaviors. The study included 113 6-year-old children from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) project, a birth cohort study. Children participated in the Dart Game designed to assess their tendencies to cheat and lie. During the game, children were required to throw the ball at a long-distance dartboard without supervision, which provided opportunities to cheat by breaking the rules. After the game, children were questioned about whether they had followed the rule, which provided them with opportunities to lie. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from all children at the same age during a different visit. We compared three network topology measures (cognitive control network recruitment, reward processing network recruitment and reward-control network integration) between non-cheaters and cheaters, as well as between non-liars and liars. The results showed that a higher degree of cognitive control network recruitment was associated with a greater likelihood of lying. Moreover, a higher degree of reward-cognitive control network integration was associated with a lower likelihood of cheating and lying. The degree of reward processing network recruitment was not associated with deceptive behaviors. These findings help to elucidate how neural mechanisms of cognitive control and reward processing contribute to deceptive behaviors in young children.
{"title":"Neural network topology in children’s deceptive behaviors: The role of cognitive control and reward processing","authors":"Liwen Yu , Meng Dai , Pei Huang , Birit F.P. Broekman , Michael Meaney , Yap Seng Chong , Marielle Valerie Fortier , Peipei Setoh , Henning Tiemeier , Ai Peng Tan , Xiao Pan Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The neural mechanisms related to children’s deceptive behaviors remain relatively unexplored. This study aims to address this gap by using measures of functional brain network topology, focusing on the cognitive control and reward processing networks that are closely related to children’s deceptive behaviors. The study included 113 6-year-old children from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) project, a birth cohort study. Children participated in the Dart Game designed to assess their tendencies to cheat and lie. During the game, children were required to throw the ball at a long-distance dartboard without supervision, which provided opportunities to cheat by breaking the rules. After the game, children were questioned about whether they had followed the rule, which provided them with opportunities to lie. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from all children at the same age during a different visit. We compared three network topology measures (cognitive control network recruitment, reward processing network recruitment and reward-control network integration) between non-cheaters and cheaters, as well as between non-liars and liars. The results showed that a higher degree of cognitive control network recruitment was associated with a greater likelihood of lying. Moreover, a higher degree of reward-cognitive control network integration was associated with a lower likelihood of cheating and lying. The degree of reward processing network recruitment was not associated with deceptive behaviors. These findings help to elucidate how neural mechanisms of cognitive control and reward processing contribute to deceptive behaviors in young children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101613"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060756","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 : 2025-09-08DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101611
Aislinn Sandre , Sonya V. Troller-Renfree , Melina Amarante , Amanda M. Dettmer , Jerrold S. Meyer , Kimberly G. Noble
The brain develops rapidly during the prenatal period and first two years of life, making it particularly sensitive to environmental influences. Family socioeconomic disadvantage is one environmental factor that may shape the development of brain function in infancy. However, it is unclear how brain function changes across infancy or whether prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with age-related differences in brain function during this period. Here, we examine whether resting electroencephalography (EEG) power (theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) shows linear and/or non-linear age-related patterns across four assessments from 1 to 18 months of age (N = 165), and whether these patterns are moderated by prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage. We find that lower-frequency (relative theta) and higher-frequency (relative alpha, beta, and gamma) power show non-linear age-related patterns during the first 18 months of life. Prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage moderates these patterns, such that infants from lower-income families show less steep age-related decreases in lower-frequency (relative theta) power and less steep increases in higher-frequency (relative beta) power. These associations hold when adjusting for other prenatal and postnatal experiences, as well as infant demographic and health-related factors. These data suggest that lower prenatal family income is associated with age-related differences in brain function during infancy.
{"title":"Age-related patterns of resting EEG power in infancy: Associations with prenatal socioeconomic disadvantage","authors":"Aislinn Sandre , Sonya V. Troller-Renfree , Melina Amarante , Amanda M. Dettmer , Jerrold S. Meyer , Kimberly G. Noble","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The brain develops rapidly during the prenatal period and first two years of life, making it particularly sensitive to environmental influences. Family socioeconomic disadvantage is one environmental factor that may shape the development of brain function in infancy. However, it is unclear how brain function changes across infancy or whether prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with age-related differences in brain function during this period. Here, we examine whether resting electroencephalography (EEG) power (theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) shows linear and/or non-linear age-related patterns across four assessments from 1 to 18 months of age (N = 165), and whether these patterns are moderated by prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage. We find that lower-frequency (relative theta) and higher-frequency (relative alpha, beta, and gamma) power show non-linear age-related patterns during the first 18 months of life. Prenatal family socioeconomic disadvantage moderates these patterns, such that infants from lower-income families show less steep age-related decreases in lower-frequency (relative theta) power and less steep increases in higher-frequency (relative beta) power. These associations hold when adjusting for other prenatal and postnatal experiences, as well as infant demographic and health-related factors. These data suggest that lower prenatal family income is associated with age-related differences in brain function during infancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"76 ","pages":"Article 101611"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050407","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 : 2025-08-30DOI: 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":"2025-08-30","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}
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