Neighborhood deprivation, prefrontal morphology and neurocognition in late childhood to early adolescence

Teresa Vargas; Katherine S.F. Damme; Vijay A. Mittal

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117086

Neighborhood deprivation, prefrontal morphology and neurocognition in late childhood to early adolescence

Teresa Vargas^*, Katherine S.F. Damme, Vijay A. Mittal

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Neighborhood deprivation adversely effects neurodevelopment and cognitive function; however, mechanisms remain unexplored. Neighborhood deprivation could be particularly impactful in late childhood/early adolescence, in neural regions with protracted developmental trajectories, e.g., prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study recruited 10,205 youth. Geocoded residential history was used to extract individual neighborhood characteristics. A general cognitive ability index and MRI scans were completed. Associations with neurocognition were examined. The relation of PFC surface area and cortical thickness to neighborhood deprivation was tested. PFC subregions and asymmetry, with putative differential environmental susceptibility during key developmental periods, were explored. Analyses tested PFC area as a possible mediating mechanism. Results: Neighborhood deprivation predicted neurocognitive performance (β = −0.11), even after accounting for parental education and household income (β = −0.07). Higher neighborhood deprivation related to greater overall PFC surface area (η_p² = 0.003), and differences in leftward asymmetry were observed for area (η_p² = 0.001), and thickness (η_p² = 0.003). Subregion analyses highlighted differences among critical areas that are actively developing in late childhood/early adolescence and are essential to modulating high order cognitive function. These included orbitofrontal, superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, and frontal pole regions (Cohen's d = 0.03–0.09). PFC surface area partially mediated the relation between neighborhood deprivation and neurocognition. Discussion: Neighborhood deprivation related to cognitive function (a foundational skill tied to a range of lifetime outcomes) and PFC morphology, with evidence found for partial mediation of PFC on neurocognitive function. Results inform public health conceptualizations of development and environmental vulnerability.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	117086
Journal	Neuroimage
Volume	220
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117086
State	Published - Oct 15 2020

Funding

Data used in the preparation of this article were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study ( https://abcdstudy.org ), held in the NIMH Data Archive (NDA). This is a multisite, longitudinal study designed to recruit more than 10,000 children age 9–10 and follow them over 10 years into early adulthood. The ABCD Study is supported by the National Institutes of Health and additional federal partners under award numbers U01DA041022 , U01DA041028 , U01DA041048 , U01DA041089 , U01DA041106 , U01DA041117 , U01DA041120 , U01DA041134 , U01DA041148 , U01DA041156 , U01DA041174 , U24DA041123 , U24DA041147 , U01DA041093 , and U01DA041025 . A full list of supporters is available at https://abcdstudy.org/federal-partners.html . A listing of participating sites and a complete listing of the study investigators can be found at https://abcdstudy.org/Consortium_Members.pdf . ABCD consortium investigators designed and implemented the study and/or provided data but did not necessarily participate in analysis or writing of this report. This manuscript reflects the views of the authors and may not reflect the opinions or views of the NIH or ABCD consortium investigators. The ABCD data repository grows and changes over time. The ABCD data used in this report came from [NIMH Data Archive Digital Object Identifier (DOI) 10.15154/1506121]. DOIs can be found at https://nda.nih.gov/general-query.html?q=query=studies%20%7Eand%7E%20orderBy=id%20%7Eand%7E%20orderDirection=Ascending . The research reported in this manuscript was also supported by the National Institute Of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number F31MH119776 (T.V.). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Keywords

Cognition
Environmental vulnerability
Neighborhood deprivation
Neurodevelopment
Prefrontal cortex

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neurology
Cognitive Neuroscience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117086

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title = "Neighborhood deprivation, prefrontal morphology and neurocognition in late childhood to early adolescence",

abstract = "Background: Neighborhood deprivation adversely effects neurodevelopment and cognitive function; however, mechanisms remain unexplored. Neighborhood deprivation could be particularly impactful in late childhood/early adolescence, in neural regions with protracted developmental trajectories, e.g., prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study recruited 10,205 youth. Geocoded residential history was used to extract individual neighborhood characteristics. A general cognitive ability index and MRI scans were completed. Associations with neurocognition were examined. The relation of PFC surface area and cortical thickness to neighborhood deprivation was tested. PFC subregions and asymmetry, with putative differential environmental susceptibility during key developmental periods, were explored. Analyses tested PFC area as a possible mediating mechanism. Results: Neighborhood deprivation predicted neurocognitive performance (β = −0.11), even after accounting for parental education and household income (β = −0.07). Higher neighborhood deprivation related to greater overall PFC surface area (ηp2 = 0.003), and differences in leftward asymmetry were observed for area (ηp2 = 0.001), and thickness (ηp2 = 0.003). Subregion analyses highlighted differences among critical areas that are actively developing in late childhood/early adolescence and are essential to modulating high order cognitive function. These included orbitofrontal, superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, and frontal pole regions (Cohen's d = 0.03–0.09). PFC surface area partially mediated the relation between neighborhood deprivation and neurocognition. Discussion: Neighborhood deprivation related to cognitive function (a foundational skill tied to a range of lifetime outcomes) and PFC morphology, with evidence found for partial mediation of PFC on neurocognitive function. Results inform public health conceptualizations of development and environmental vulnerability.",

keywords = "Cognition, Environmental vulnerability, Neighborhood deprivation, Neurodevelopment, Prefrontal cortex",

author = "Teresa Vargas and Damme, {Katherine S.F.} and Mittal, {Vijay A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors",

year = "2020",

month = oct,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117086",

language = "English (US)",

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journal = "Neuroimage",

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T1 - Neighborhood deprivation, prefrontal morphology and neurocognition in late childhood to early adolescence

AU - Vargas, Teresa

AU - Damme, Katherine S.F.

AU - Mittal, Vijay A.

PY - 2020/10/15

Y1 - 2020/10/15

N2 - Background: Neighborhood deprivation adversely effects neurodevelopment and cognitive function; however, mechanisms remain unexplored. Neighborhood deprivation could be particularly impactful in late childhood/early adolescence, in neural regions with protracted developmental trajectories, e.g., prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study recruited 10,205 youth. Geocoded residential history was used to extract individual neighborhood characteristics. A general cognitive ability index and MRI scans were completed. Associations with neurocognition were examined. The relation of PFC surface area and cortical thickness to neighborhood deprivation was tested. PFC subregions and asymmetry, with putative differential environmental susceptibility during key developmental periods, were explored. Analyses tested PFC area as a possible mediating mechanism. Results: Neighborhood deprivation predicted neurocognitive performance (β = −0.11), even after accounting for parental education and household income (β = −0.07). Higher neighborhood deprivation related to greater overall PFC surface area (ηp2 = 0.003), and differences in leftward asymmetry were observed for area (ηp2 = 0.001), and thickness (ηp2 = 0.003). Subregion analyses highlighted differences among critical areas that are actively developing in late childhood/early adolescence and are essential to modulating high order cognitive function. These included orbitofrontal, superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, and frontal pole regions (Cohen's d = 0.03–0.09). PFC surface area partially mediated the relation between neighborhood deprivation and neurocognition. Discussion: Neighborhood deprivation related to cognitive function (a foundational skill tied to a range of lifetime outcomes) and PFC morphology, with evidence found for partial mediation of PFC on neurocognitive function. Results inform public health conceptualizations of development and environmental vulnerability.

AB - Background: Neighborhood deprivation adversely effects neurodevelopment and cognitive function; however, mechanisms remain unexplored. Neighborhood deprivation could be particularly impactful in late childhood/early adolescence, in neural regions with protracted developmental trajectories, e.g., prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study recruited 10,205 youth. Geocoded residential history was used to extract individual neighborhood characteristics. A general cognitive ability index and MRI scans were completed. Associations with neurocognition were examined. The relation of PFC surface area and cortical thickness to neighborhood deprivation was tested. PFC subregions and asymmetry, with putative differential environmental susceptibility during key developmental periods, were explored. Analyses tested PFC area as a possible mediating mechanism. Results: Neighborhood deprivation predicted neurocognitive performance (β = −0.11), even after accounting for parental education and household income (β = −0.07). Higher neighborhood deprivation related to greater overall PFC surface area (ηp2 = 0.003), and differences in leftward asymmetry were observed for area (ηp2 = 0.001), and thickness (ηp2 = 0.003). Subregion analyses highlighted differences among critical areas that are actively developing in late childhood/early adolescence and are essential to modulating high order cognitive function. These included orbitofrontal, superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, and frontal pole regions (Cohen's d = 0.03–0.09). PFC surface area partially mediated the relation between neighborhood deprivation and neurocognition. Discussion: Neighborhood deprivation related to cognitive function (a foundational skill tied to a range of lifetime outcomes) and PFC morphology, with evidence found for partial mediation of PFC on neurocognitive function. Results inform public health conceptualizations of development and environmental vulnerability.

KW - Cognition

KW - Environmental vulnerability

KW - Neighborhood deprivation

KW - Neurodevelopment

KW - Prefrontal cortex

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SN - 1053-8119

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JO - Neuroimage

JF - Neuroimage

M1 - 117086

ER -

Neighborhood deprivation, prefrontal morphology and neurocognition in late childhood to early adolescence

Abstract

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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