Gabriella Y. Navarro-Love , Elizabeth A. Stinson , Ryan M. Sullivan , Krista M. Lisdahl
{"title":"Parental substance use history density and its influence on reward anticipation brain activation in late childhood and early adolescence","authors":"Gabriella Y. Navarro-Love , Elizabeth A. Stinson , Ryan M. Sullivan , Krista M. Lisdahl","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parental history of problematic substance use (PH) increases the risk for early adolescent substance use (SU), potentially due to premorbid differences in reward-processing brain regions (e.g., striatum). However, no studies have <em>prospectively</em> examined the separate contributions of parental history of alcohol (PHA) and drug (PHD) use or the impact of PH density (PH<sup>0</sup>, PH<sup>1</sup>, PH<sup>2</sup>) on reward processing in preadolescents. This study analyzed data from 10,235 participants (ages 9–14) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study<sup>SM</sup> (ABCD). Reward processing was assessed using the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MID) at baseline and two-year follow-up. Regions of interest included bilateral striatal activation elicited by neutral vs. anticipation of large rewards. Linear mixed-effect models evaluated PH, PHA, PHD, and PH density on ROI activation, controlling for relevant covariates. Results showed that youth with PHA<sup>1</sup> had greater nucleus accumbens activation during reward anticipation than those with no history (PHA<sup>0</sup>), but no significant differences were found between PHA<sup>2</sup> and PHA<sup>1</sup> or PHA<sup>2</sup> and PHA<sup>0</sup>. PHD and PH were not significantly associated with BOLD activation in striatal regions, nor were there changes over time. These findings highlight the need to consider both PH and environmental factors when assessing neurodevelopmental risk for early substance use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101572"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223618","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}
Ellyn Reed , Lanxin Ji , Marjorie Beeghly , Amyn Majbri , Tanya Bhatia , Mark Duffy , Iris Menu , Christopher Trentacosta , Moriah E. Thomason
{"title":"Fetal functional connectivity: Examining the role of prenatal maternal depression symptoms using graph theory","authors":"Ellyn Reed , Lanxin Ji , Marjorie Beeghly , Amyn Majbri , Tanya Bhatia , Mark Duffy , Iris Menu , Christopher Trentacosta , Moriah E. Thomason","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101585","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101585","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Altered fetal brain function is proposed as a mechanism underlying the relationship between prenatal maternal depression (PMD) and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. This study investigated the association between PMD symptoms and fetal brain functional connectivity (FC) using graph theory. A total of 123 pregnant women participated in the study, completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and underwent fetal MRI scans. Results revealed a significant relationship between elevated PMD symptoms and reduced global efficiency in the right insular region of the fetal brain. However, because fetal age was not associated with local or global efficiency in the insular brain region, we cannot determine if the PMD-related reduction in insula global efficiency is indicative of an accelerated or delayed developmental pattern. This study is one of the few to examine fetal brain connectivity in relation to prenatal maternal depression, providing valuable insights into early neurodevelopmental risks and potential targets for early intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101585"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322079","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}
{"title":"Statistical learning of orthography-semantics regularities: A developmental neurophysiological study","authors":"Rujun Duan , Wenyuan Zhao , Shelley Xiuli Tong , Xiuhong Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Combining event-related potential (ERP) with an artificial orthography learning paradigm, this study examined how 7–11-year-old Chinese children from first to fifth grade implicitly acquired orthography-semantics regularities of artificial characters. We manipulated the semantic consistency levels of radicals embedded in artificial characters at high (100 %), moderate (80 %), and low (60 %). The behavioral results indicated that 8-year-olds in the second grade were able to acquire regularities of semantic radicals within a sequence of artificial characters. The ERP results revealed a N170-P300-N400 pattern. The N170 component in the occipitotemporal area indicated orthographic identification during the early stages of learning, while the P300 and N400 components reflected attentional allocation and semantic activation during the later stages of statistical learning of orthography-semantics connections. The interactions between neural activation of statistical learning and grade suggest a significant developmental change in 7-11-year-old children. These findings support the multi-component model of statistical learning and the age-related hypothesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101576"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144212647","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}
Cassondra M. Eng , Roberto J. Vargas , Howard L. Fung , Selena R. Niemi , Melissa Pocsai , Anna V. Fisher , Erik D. Thiessen
{"title":"Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS","authors":"Cassondra M. Eng , Roberto J. Vargas , Howard L. Fung , Selena R. Niemi , Melissa Pocsai , Anna V. Fisher , Erik D. Thiessen","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Executive function (EF) is crucial for goal-directed behavior and predicts overall wellbeing, academic and interpersonal success. Intrinsic (i.e., non-evoked) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) during naturalistic paradigms offers insight into neural mechanisms underlying EF. However, few studies have explored EF-rsFC associations using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) across age groups. This cross-sectional study validates a naturalistic viewing paradigm (<em>Inscapes</em>) using fNIRS and examines the link between rsFC in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and EF in children ages 4–5 and in young adults ages 18–22. Adults were presented with two rsFC paradigms in a counterbalanced within-subjects design: a traditional static crosshair and <em>Inscapes</em>. Representational similarity analysis revealed robustly similar rsFC patterns between the crosshair and <em>Inscapes</em> conditions, and both were associated with EF (Stroop performance). Children were presented with <em>Inscapes</em> to assess rsFC, and exhibited high compliance using fNIRS. Importantly, rsFC assessed with <em>Inscapes</em> in children was associated with EF (Stroop-like Day-Night Task performance). Age-related differences showed intrinsic functional connections within the PFC strengthening over development. This study uses child-friendly, noninvasive optical neuroimaging and a publicly available rsFC paradigm to elucidate the role of the PFC in EF development, illuminating practical methodological approaches to study the developmental trajectory and neural underpinnings of EF.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144185664","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}
Julianne M. Griffith , Anna Wears , Nastasia O. McDonald , Jennifer S. Silk , Rebecca B. Price , Mary L. Woody
{"title":"Parent-adolescent closeness predicts neurophysiological reward responsiveness in adolescent girls at varying risk for depression","authors":"Julianne M. Griffith , Anna Wears , Nastasia O. McDonald , Jennifer S. Silk , Rebecca B. Price , Mary L. Woody","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Risk for depression rises during adolescence, particularly among children of depressed mothers. Altered neurophysiological reward processing, measured using event-related potentials (ERPs), is related to depression vulnerability. However, it is unclear whether disruptions in youth reward responsiveness are driven by parental reward dysfunction (e.g., anhedonia) versus parent-child relationship factors (e.g., closeness). This work examined concurrent and prospective associations between youth neurophysiological reward responsiveness and parental anhedonia, parent-adolescent discord, and parent-adolescent closeness. Participants included 93 youth assigned female at birth (ages 13–15) and their mothers (<em>n</em> = 62 with a depression history). Youth reward responsiveness was assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up using the reward positivity (RewP) ERP component. Parental anhedonia, parent-adolescent discord, and parent-adolescent closeness were measured at each timepoint using questionnaires. Regression analyses demonstrated positive concurrent associations between parent-adolescent closeness and youth RewP at both timepoints. RewP was not significantly related to parental anhedonia or parent-adolescent discord, and no prospective cross-lagged effects were observed. Among adolescents at varying depression risk, youth with greater closeness with their mothers consistently demonstrated enhanced reward responsiveness, even after accounting for adolescent depressive symptoms and maternal depression history. Findings suggest that positive, but not negative, aspects of parent-child relationships are related to adolescent responsiveness to reward.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101579"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223115","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}
Mónica López-Vicente , Michelle S.W. Kusters , Sami Petricola , Henning Tiemeier , Ryan L. Muetzel , Mònica Guxens
{"title":"Short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and dynamic brain connectivity in adolescents","authors":"Mónica López-Vicente , Michelle S.W. Kusters , Sami Petricola , Henning Tiemeier , Ryan L. Muetzel , Mònica Guxens","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101574","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101574","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is some evidence which suggests short-term effects of traffic-related air pollution on brain function in adults. We aimed to examine these associations at ages 10 and 14 years using dynamic functional brain connectivity. We included participants from a population-based birth cohort with brain connectivity and air pollution data at home (n = 3608) or school (n = 2305) in at least one visit. We used land use regression models to estimate levels of air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>X</sub>) and particulate matter (PM), during the week before the outcome measurement. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we generated five connectivity patterns. We calculated the mean time spent in each pattern for each participant and visit. We performed linear mixed effects models adjusted for relevant confounders. The median levels of NO<sub>X</sub> at the two visits and at home and school were between 36 and 47 μg/m<sup>3</sup> and the median levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> were between 11 and 12 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. We found a weak association between higher air pollution exposure and less time spent in a low modularized connectivity pattern (e.g. coefficient=-0.031 [95 % confidence interval=-0.056; −0.006] per 20 μg/m<sup>3</sup> increase in NO<sub>X</sub> at home). However, this association did not remain after multiple testing correction. Further research that explores these associations at other exposure levels and other age periods is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101574"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144203397","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}
{"title":"Causal effects of physical activity and screen time on childhood intelligence via Mendelian randomization: The mediating role of intracranial volume","authors":"Junjiao Feng , Yi Wan , Liang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing evidence suggests that physical activity and screen time affect intelligence (IQ) during childhood, a critical period for brain development, yet the relationship between these factors remains controversial. Using bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), we investigated these associations while accounting for potential reverse causality. Our two-sample MR analysis revealed a positive causal effect of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) on childhood IQ (<em>β</em> = 0.42, 95 % confidence interval (CI): [0.12, 0.72], <em>p</em> = 6.26 × 10<sup>−3</sup>), whereas leisure screen time (LST) exhibited a negative causal effect (<em>β</em> = −0.35, 95 % CI: [ −0.60, −0.10], <em>p</em> = 5.59 ×10<sup>−3</sup>). Reverse MR analysis found no evidence of causations. A two-step MR mediation framework further suggested that the intracranial volume (ICV) mediated 21.69 % (95 % CI: [15.25 %, 28.13 %]) of the negative effect of LST on childhood IQ. These MR-derived findings demonstrate that PA positively influences childhood IQ, whereas LST negatively impacts it, partly through reduced ICV. By leveraging genetic instruments, this study strengthens causal inference and highlights the potential of PA promotion and screen time reduction to support cognitive development. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations and their long-term cognitive consequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101586"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329522","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}
Rong W. Zablocki , Bohan Xu , Chun-Chieh Fan , Wesley K. Thompson
{"title":"A Bayesian Regularized and Annotation-Informed Integrative Analysis of Cognition (BRAINIAC)","authors":"Rong W. Zablocki , Bohan Xu , Chun-Chieh Fan , Wesley K. Thompson","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present the novel Bayesian Regularized and Annotation-Informed Integrative Analysis of Cognition (BRAINIAC) model. BRAINIAC allows for estimation of total variance explained by all features for a given cognitive phenotype, as well as a principled assessment of the impact of annotations on relative enrichment of predictive features compared to others in terms of variance explained, without relying on a potentially unrealistic assumption of sparsity of brain–behavior associations. We validate BRAINIAC in Monte Carlo simulation studies. In real data analyses, we train the BRAINIAC model on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) and neuropsychiatric data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study and use the trained model in an out-of-study application to harmonized resting-state data from the Human Connectome Project Development (HCP-D), demonstrating a substantial improvement in out-of-study predictive power by incorporating relevant annotations into the BRAINIAC model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534464","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}
Santiago Morales , Lauren Oh , Kylie Cox , Ramiro Rodriguez-Sanchez , Gina Nadaya , George A. Buzzell , Sonya V. Troller-Renfree
{"title":"Generalizability of developmental EEG: Demographic reporting, representation, and sample size","authors":"Santiago Morales , Lauren Oh , Kylie Cox , Ramiro Rodriguez-Sanchez , Gina Nadaya , George A. Buzzell , Sonya V. Troller-Renfree","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the main neuroscientific measures used with infants and children to identify potential biomarkers of cognitive and social developmental processes. Given the implications of developmental EEG research within policy, clinical, and educational domains, it is important to ensure that reported results are generalizable and reproducible. In this review, to provide an initial assessment of previous and current practices regarding participant recruitment (sample size and representation) and demographic reporting, we carried out a systematic review of six notable journals for publishing pediatric EEG studies between 2011 and 2023. We identified 700 articles reporting on pediatric EEG. We found that most studies did not provide complete reporting of basic demographic information (e.g., race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographical location). This trend persisted across years of publication, suggesting continued underreporting. However, the reporting of demographic information differed between journals, suggesting solutions for improving reporting practices. Our review also indicated that samples were of modest sample size (Median = 51) and consisted of mostly White participants (78 %) from North America and Western Europe (85 %). Our discussion emphasizes the need for larger, more diverse samples and greater transparency in developmental EEG studies, while providing recommendations to address barriers to representation and reproducibility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101567"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107348","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}
Divyangana Rakesh , Ekaterina Sadikova , Katie A. McLaughlin
{"title":"Associations among socioeconomic disadvantage, longitudinal changes in within-network connectivity, and academic outcomes in the ABCD study","authors":"Divyangana Rakesh , Ekaterina Sadikova , Katie A. McLaughlin","doi":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lower parental socioeconomic status (SES) is consistently linked to lower academic achievement among adolescents, with early disparities persisting into adulthood. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these associations are not well understood. This preregistered study investigates the associations between household and neighborhood disadvantage—measured by income-to-needs ratio, parental educational attainment, and neighborhood SES—changes in within-network functional connectivity, and school grades, using longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 4745; age at baseline = 119.1 ± 7.5 months; age at 2-year follow up = 143.6 ± 7.8 months; age at 3-year follow up = 154.8 ± 7.7 months). Within-network connectivity changed significantly from baseline to follow-up, increasing in most networks (e.g., default mode, fronto-parietal) and decreasing in a few (e.g., salience, ventral attention). After controlling for other SES indicators, parental education and neighborhood disadvantage, but not income, were associated with changes in connectivity across several brain networks, including reduced increases in default mode, cingulo-opercular, and visual network connectivity and greater increases in within-sensorimotor network connectivity. Further, changes in sensorimotor connectivity mediated the relationship between parental educational attainment and academic achievement three years later. These findings highlight the importance of parental education and neighborhood environments in shaping neurodevelopmental trajectories that influence academic outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms that link socioeconomic disadvantage with academic outcomes could inform interventions aimed at reducing persistent achievement gaps.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49083,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101587"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144481206","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}