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Harnett NG, Merrill LC, Fani N. Racial and ethnic socioenvironmental inequity and neuroimaging in psychiatry: a brief review of the past and recommendations for the future. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01901-7. [PMID: 38902354 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Neuroimaging is a major tool that holds immense translational potential for understanding psychiatric disorder phenomenology and treatment. However, although epidemiological and social research highlights the many ways inequity and representativeness influences mental health, there is a lack of consideration of how such issues may impact neuroimaging features in psychiatric research. More specifically, the potential extent to which racialized inequities may affect underlying neurobiology and impact the generalizability of neural models of disorders is unclear. The present review synthesizes research focused on understanding the potential consequences of racial/ethnic inequities relevant to neuroimaging in psychiatry. We first discuss historical and contemporary drivers of inequities that persist today. We then discuss the neurobiological consequences of these inequities as revealed through current research, and note emergent research demonstrating the impact such inequities have on our ability to use neuroimaging to understand psychiatric disease. We end with a set of recommendations and practices to move the field towards more equitable approaches that will advance our abilities to develop truly generalizable neurobiological models of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel G Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Livia C Merrill
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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2
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Butler ER, Samia N, White S, Gratton C, Nusslock R. Neuroimmune mechanisms connecting violence with internalizing symptoms: A high-dimensional multimodal mediation analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26615. [PMID: 38339956 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Violence exposure is associated with worsening anxiety and depression symptoms among adolescents. Mechanistically, social defeat stress models in mice indicate that violence increases peripherally derived macrophages in threat appraisal regions of the brain, which have been causally linked to anxious behavior. In the present study, we investigate if there is a path connecting violence exposure with internalizing symptom severity through peripheral inflammation and amygdala connectivity. Two hundred and thirty-three adolescents, ages 12-15, from the Chicago area completed clinical assessments, immune assays and neuroimaging. A high-dimensional multimodal mediation model was fit, using violence exposure as the predictor, 12 immune variables as the first set of mediators and 288 amygdala connectivity variables as the second set, and internalizing symptoms as the primary outcome measure. 56.2% of the sample had been exposed to violence in their lifetime. Amygdala-hippocampus connectivity mediated the association between violence exposure and internalizing symptoms (ζ ̂ Hipp π ̂ Hipp = 0.059 $$ {\hat{\zeta}}_{\mathrm{Hipp}}{\hat{\pi}}_{\mathrm{Hipp}}=0.059 $$ ,95 % CI boot = 0.009,0.134 $$ 95\%{\mathrm{CI}}_{\mathrm{boot}}=\left[\mathrm{0.009,0.134}\right] $$ ). There was no evidence that inflammation or inflammation and amygdala connectivity in tandem mediated the association. Considering the amygdala and the hippocampus work together to encode, consolidate, and retrieve contextual fear memories, violence exposure may be associated with greater connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus because it could be adaptive for the amygdala and the hippocampus to be in greater communication following violence exposure to facilitate evaluation of contextual threat cues. Therefore, chronic elevations of amygdala-hippocampal connectivity may indicate persistent vigilance that leads to internalizing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellyn R Butler
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Noelle Samia
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Stuart White
- Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Caterina Gratton
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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3
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Alex AM, Aguate F, Botteron K, Buss C, Chong YS, Dager SR, Donald KA, Entringer S, Fair DA, Fortier MV, Gaab N, Gilmore JH, Girault JB, Graham AM, Groenewold NA, Hazlett H, Lin W, Meaney MJ, Piven J, Qiu A, Rasmussen JM, Roos A, Schultz RT, Skeide MA, Stein DJ, Styner M, Thompson PM, Turesky TK, Wadhwa PD, Zar HJ, Zöllei L, de Los Campos G, Knickmeyer RC. A global multicohort study to map subcortical brain development and cognition in infancy and early childhood. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:176-186. [PMID: 37996530 PMCID: PMC10774128 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01501-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The human brain grows quickly during infancy and early childhood, but factors influencing brain maturation in this period remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we harmonized data from eight diverse cohorts, creating one of the largest pediatric neuroimaging datasets to date focused on birth to 6 years of age. We mapped the developmental trajectory of intracranial and subcortical volumes in ∼2,000 children and studied how sociodemographic factors and adverse birth outcomes influence brain structure and cognition. The amygdala was the first subcortical volume to mature, whereas the thalamus exhibited protracted development. Males had larger brain volumes than females, and children born preterm or with low birthweight showed catch-up growth with age. Socioeconomic factors exerted region- and time-specific effects. Regarding cognition, males scored lower than females; preterm birth affected all developmental areas tested, and socioeconomic factors affected visual reception and receptive language. Brain-cognition correlations revealed region-specific associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Alex
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Fernando Aguate
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kelly Botteron
- Mallinickrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Marielle V Fortier
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Imaging, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carboro, NC, USA
| | - Alice M Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SA-MRC) Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Heather Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carboro, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carboro, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Suzhou, China
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, China
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annerine Roos
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael A Skeide
- Research Group Learning in Early Childhood, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin Styner
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carboro, NC, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Ted K Turesky
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pathik D Wadhwa
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Heather J Zar
- South African Medical Research Council (SA-MRC) Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Gustavo de Los Campos
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Statistics & Probability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Rebecca C Knickmeyer
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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Hatzenbuehler ML, McLaughlin KA, Weissman DG, Cikara M. A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:20-31. [PMID: 38172629 PMCID: PMC11112523 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01774-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Consistent evidence documents powerful effects of social inequality on health, well-being and academic achievement. Yet research on whether social inequality may also be linked to brain structure and function has, until recently, been rare. Here we describe three methodological approaches that can be used to study this question-single site, single study; multi-site, single study; and spatial meta-analysis. We review empirical work that, using these approaches, has observed associations between neural outcomes and structural measures of social inequality-including structural stigma, community-level prejudice, gender inequality, neighbourhood disadvantage and the generosity of the social safety net for low-income families. We evaluate the relative strengths and limitations of these approaches, discuss ethical considerations and outline directions for future research. In doing so, we advocate for a paradigm shift in cognitive neuroscience that explicitly incorporates upstream structural and contextual factors, which we argue holds promise for uncovering the neural correlates of social inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Weissman DG, Baum GL, Sanders A, Rosen ML, Barch DM, McLaughlin KA, Somerville LH. Family income is not significantly associated with T1w/T2w ratio in the Human Connectome Project in Development. IMAGING NEUROSCIENCE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 1:10.1162/imag_a_00021. [PMID: 39006919 PMCID: PMC11242614 DOI: 10.1162/imag_a_00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that brain development varies as a function of family socioeconomic status (SES). Numerous studies have demonstrated that children from low-SES backgrounds have thinner cortex than children from higher-SES backgrounds. A recent study in a large developmental sample found widespread associations between lower SES and greater cortical T1w/T2w ratio-thought to be an indirect proxy for cortical myelin. We evaluated the association of family income with cortical T1w/T2w ratio as a function of age in the Human Connectome Project in Development sample of 989 youth aged 8-21 years. We observed no associations between family income and T1w/T2w ratio that were significant after corrections for multiple comparisons at the region, network, or whole-brain level. Region of practical equivalence (ROPE) analyses were also consistent with the absence of an association between family income and T1w/T2w ratio. We discuss potential methodological sources of inconsistency between this and the previous study examining the same question. While the question of whether family income may influence cortical myelin development remains, these null results may indicate that the association between SES and cortical myelin development may not be as strong as with other aspects of brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Graham L. Baum
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ashley Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Maya L. Rosen
- Program in Neuroscience, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - Leah H. Somerville
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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6
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Weissman DG, Hatzenbuehler ML, Cikara M, Barch DM, McLaughlin KA. State-level macro-economic factors moderate the association of low income with brain structure and mental health in U.S. children. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2085. [PMID: 37130880 PMCID: PMC10154403 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37778-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrostructural characteristics, such as cost of living and state-level anti-poverty programs relate to the magnitude of socioeconomic disparities in brain development and mental health. In this study we leveraged data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study from 10,633 9-11 year old youth (5115 female) across 17 states. Lower income was associated with smaller hippocampal volume and higher internalizing psychopathology. These associations were stronger in states with higher cost of living. However, in high cost of living states that provide more generous cash benefits for low-income families, socioeconomic disparities in hippocampal volume were reduced by 34%, such that the association of family income with hippocampal volume resembled that in the lowest cost of living states. We observed similar patterns for internalizing psychopathology. State-level anti-poverty programs and cost of living may be confounded with other factors related to neurodevelopment and mental health. However, the patterns were robust to controls for numerous state-level social, economic, and political characteristics. These findings suggest that state-level macrostructural characteristics, including the generosity of anti-poverty policies, are potentially relevant for addressing the relationship of low income with brain development and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | | | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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7
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Herzberg MP, Hennefield L, Luking KR, Sanders AFP, Vogel AC, Kandala S, Tillman R, Luby J, Barch DM. Family income buffers the relationship between childhood adverse experiences and putamen volume. Dev Neurobiol 2023; 83:28-39. [PMID: 36314461 PMCID: PMC10038819 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Adverse experiences and family income in childhood have been associated with altered brain development. While there is a large body of research examining these associations, it has primarily used cross-sectional data sources and studied adverse experiences and family income in isolation. However, it is possible that low family income and adverse experiences represent dissociable and potentially interacting profiles of risk. To address this gap in the literature, we examined brain structure as a function of adverse experiences in childhood and family income in 158 youths with up to five waves of MRI data. Specifically, we assessed the interactive effect of these two risk factors on six regions of interest: hippocampus, putamen, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, caudate, and thalamus. Adverse experiences and family income interacted to predict putamen volume (B = 0.086, p = 0.011) but only in participants with family income one standard deviation below the mean (slope estimate = -0.11, p = 0.03). These results suggest that adverse experiences in childhood result in distinct patterns of brain development across the socioeconomic gradient. Given previous findings implicating the role of the putamen in psychopathology-related behaviors, these results emphasize the importance of considering life events and socioeconomic context when evaluating markers of risk. Future research should include interactive effects of environmental exposures and family income to better characterize risk for psychopathology in diverse samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P. Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura Hennefield
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katherine R. Luking
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ashley F. P. Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alecia C. Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sridhar Kandala
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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8
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Associations between socioeconomic gradients and racial disparities in preadolescent brain outcomes. Pediatr Res 2022:10.1038/s41390-022-02399-9. [PMID: 36456690 PMCID: PMC10232675 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02399-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which socioeconomic characteristics of the home and neighborhood are associated with racial inequalities in brain outcomes. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline dataset (v.2.0.1) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Cognitive performance was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox (NIH-TB) cognitive battery. Standard socioeconomic indicators of the family and neighborhood were derived from census-related statistics. Cortical morphometric measures included MRI-derived thickness, area, and volume. RESULTS 9638 children were included. Each NIH-TB cognitive measure was negatively associated with household and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Differences in cognitive scores between Black or Hispanic children and other racial groups were mitigated by higher household income. Most children from lowest-income families or residents in impoverished neighborhoods were Black or Hispanic. These disparities were associated with racial differences in NIH-TB measures and mediated by smaller cortical brain volumes. CONCLUSIONS Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are associated with racial differences in preadolescent brain outcomes and mitigated by greater household income. Household income mediates racial differences more strongly than neighborhood-level socioeconomic indicators in brain outcomes. Highlighting these socioeconomic risks may direct focused policy-based interventions such as allocation of community resources to ensure equitable brain outcomes in children. IMPACT Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are associated with racial differences in preadolescent brain outcomes and mitigated by greater household income. Household income mediates racial differences more strongly than neighborhood-level socioeconomic indicators in brain outcomes. Highlighting these disparities related to socioeconomic risks may direct focused policy-based interventions such as allocation of community resources to ensure equitable brain outcomes in children.
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Poudel R, Tobia MJ, Riedel MC, Salo T, Flannery JS, Hill-Bowen LD, Dick AS, Laird AR, Parra CM, Sutherland MT. Risky decision-making strategies mediate the relationship between amygdala activity and real-world financial savings among individuals from lower income households: A pilot study. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113867. [PMID: 35385783 PMCID: PMC10739684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Lower financial savings among individuals experiencing adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) increases vulnerabilities during times of crisis. SDoH including low socioeconomic status (low-SES) influence cognitive abilities as well as health and life outcomes that may perpetuate poverty and disparities. Despite evidence suggesting a role for financial growth in minimizing SDoH-related disparities and vulnerabilities, neurobiological mechanisms linked with financial behavior remain to be elucidated. As such, we examined the relationships between brain activity during decision-making (DM), laboratory-based task performance, and money savings behavior. Participants (N = 24, 14 females) from low-SES households (income<$20,000/year) underwent fMRI scanning while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), a DM paradigm probing risky- and strategic-DM processes. Participants also completed self-report instruments characterizing relevant personality characteristics and then engaged in a community outreach financial program where amount of money saved was tracked over a 6-month period. Regarding BART-related brain activity, we observed expected activity in regions implicated in reward and emotional processing including the amygdala. Regarding brain-behavior relationships, we found that laboratory-based BART performance mediated the impact of amygdala activity on real-world behavior. That is, elevated amygdala activity was linked with BART strategic-DM which, in turn, was linked with more money saved after 6 months. In exploratory analyses, this mediation was moderated by emotion-related personality characteristics such that, only individuals reporting lower alexithymia demonstrated a relationship between amygdala activity and savings. These outcomes suggest that DM-related amygdala activity and/or emotion-related personality characteristics may provide utility as an endophenotypic marker of individual's financial savings behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjita Poudel
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michael J Tobia
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michael C Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Jessica S Flannery
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Lauren D Hill-Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Anthony S Dick
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Angela R Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Carlos M Parra
- College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Matthew T Sutherland
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States.
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10
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Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Chávez-Franco DA, Luévano-Castro SC, Macías-Escobedo E, Hernández-Castillo A, Carlos-Hernández E, Franco-Ortíz A, Castro-Romero SP, Cortés-Flores M, Crespo-Cortés CN, Torres-Jardón R, Stommel EW, Rajkumar RP, Mukherjee PS. Metals, Nanoparticles, Particulate Matter, and Cognitive Decline. Front Neurol 2022; 12:794071. [PMID: 35126295 PMCID: PMC8815025 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.794071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to metals is ubiquitous and emission sources include gasoline, diesel, smoke from wildfires, contaminated soil, water and food, medical implants, waste recycling facilities, subway exposures, and occupational environments. PM2.5 exposure is associated with impaired cognitive performance, neurobehavioral alterations, incidence of dementia, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. Heavy-duty diesel vehicles are major emitters of metal-rich PM2.5 and nanoparticles in Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC). Cognitive impairment was investigated in 336 clinically healthy, middle-class, Mexican volunteers, age 29.2 ± 13.3 years with 13.7 ± 2.4 years of education using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). MoCA scores varied with age and residency in three Mexican cities with cognition deficits impacting ~74% of the young middle-class population (MoCA ≤ 25). MMC residents ≥31 years (x¯46.2 ± 11.8 y) had MoCA x¯20.4 ± 3.4 vs. low pollution controls 25.2 ± 2.4 (p < 0.0001). Formal education years positively impacted MoCA total scores across all participants (p < 0.0001). Residency in PM2.5 polluted cities impacts multi-domain cognitive performance. Identifying and making every effort to lower key pollutants impacting neural risk trajectories and monitoring cognitive longitudinal performance are urgent. PM2.5 emission control should be prioritized, metal emissions targeted, and neuroprevention interventions implemented early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.,Universidad del Valle de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Elijah W Stommel
- Department of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Ravi Philip Rajkumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
| | - Partha S Mukherjee
- Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
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11
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Barch DM, Donohue MR, Elsayed NM, Gilbert K, Harms MP, Hennefield L, Herzberg M, Kandala S, Karcher NR, Jackson JJ, Luking KR, Rappaport BI, Sanders A, Taylor R, Tillman R, Vogel AC, Whalen D, Luby JL. Early Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Cognitive and Adaptive Outcomes at the Transition to Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Gray Matter Development Across Five Scan Waves. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:34-44. [PMID: 34273554 PMCID: PMC8917509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor outcomes in childhood, many of which endure into adulthood. It is critical to determine how early low SES relates to trajectories of brain development and whether these mediate relationships to poor outcomes. We use data from a unique 17-year longitudinal study with five waves of structural brain imaging to prospectively examine relationships between preschool SES and cognitive, social, academic, and psychiatric outcomes in early adulthood. METHODS Children (n = 216, 50% female, 47.2% non-White) were recruited from a study of early onset depression and followed approximately annually. Family income-to-needs ratios (SES) were assessed when children were ages 3 to 5 years. Volumes of cortical gray and white matter and subcortical gray matter collected across five scan waves were processed using the FreeSurfer Longitudinal pipeline. When youth were ages 16+ years, cognitive function was assessed using the NIH Toolbox, and psychiatric diagnoses, high-risk behaviors, educational function, and social function were assessed using clinician administered and parent/youth report measures. RESULTS Lower preschool SES related to worse cognitive, high-risk, educational, and social outcomes (|standardized B| = 0.20-0.31, p values < .003). Lower SES was associated with overall lower cortical (standardized B = 0.12, p < .0001) and subcortical gray matter (standardized B = 0.17, p < .0001) volumes, as well as a shallower slope of subcortical gray matter growth over time (standardized B = 0.04, p = .012). Subcortical gray matter mediated the relationship of preschool SES to cognition and high-risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS These novel longitudinal data underscore the key role of brain development in understanding the long-lasting relations of early low SES to outcomes in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M Barch
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Meghan Rose Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nourhan M Elsayed
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Kirsten Gilbert
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Michael P Harms
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Laura Hennefield
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Max Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sridhar Kandala
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nicole R Karcher
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joshua J Jackson
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Katherine R Luking
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Brent I Rappaport
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ashley Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rita Taylor
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Alecia C Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Diana Whalen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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12
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Assari S. Cingulo-opercular and Cingulo-parietal Brain Networks Functional Connectivity in Pre-adolescents: Multiplicative Effects of Race, Ethnicity, and Parental Education. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 6:76-99. [PMID: 34734154 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v6n2p76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction A growing body of research has shown a diminished association between socioeconomic status (SES) indicators and a wide range of neuroimaging indicators for racial and ethnic minorities compared to majority groups. However, less is known about these effects for resting-state functional connectivity between various brain networks. Purpose This study investigated racial and ethnic variation in the correlation between parental education and resting-state functional connectivity between the cingulo-opercular (CO) and cingulo-parietal (CP) networks in children. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study; we analyzed the resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) data of 8,464 American pre-adolescents between the ages of 9 and 10. The main outcome measured was resting-state functional connectivity between the CO and CP networks calculated using rsfMRI. The independent variable was parental education, which was treated as a nominal variable. Age, sex, and family marital status were the study covariates. Race and ethnicity were the moderators. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis, with and without interaction terms between parental education and race and ethnicity. Results Higher parental education was associated with higher resting-state functional connectivity between the CO and CP networks. Race and ethnicity both showed statistically significant interactions with parental education on children's resting-state functional connectivity between CO and CP networks, suggesting that the correlation between parental education and the resting-state functional connectivity was significantly weaker for Black and Hispanic pre-adolescents compared to White and non-Hispanic pre-adolescents. Conclusions In line with the Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, the association between parental education and pre-adolescents resting-state functional connectivity between CO and CP networks may be weaker in Black and Hispanic children than in White and non-Hispanic children. The weaker link between parental education and brain functional connectivity for Blacks and Hispanics than for Whites and non-Hispanics may reflect racism, racialization, and social stratification that collectively minimize the returns of SES indicators, such as parental education for non-Whites, who become others in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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13
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Rakesh D, Whittle S. Socioeconomic status and the developing brain - A systematic review of neuroimaging findings in youth. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:379-407. [PMID: 34474050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A growing literature has shown associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and neural properties (such as brain structure and function). In this review, we aimed to synthesize findings on the neural correlates of socioeconomic status (SES) in youth samples across neuroimaging modalities. We also aimed to disentangle the effects of different SES measures (e.g., parent income and education) in our synthesis. We found relatively consistent patterns of positive associations between SES and both volume and cortical surface area of frontal regions, and amygdala, hippocampal, and striatal volume (with most consistent results for composite SES indices). Despite limited longitudinal work, results suggest that SES is associated with developmental trajectories of gray matter structure. Higher SES was also found to be associated with increased fractional anisotropy of some white matter tracts, although there were more null than positive findings. Finally, methodological heterogeneity in brain function and connectivity studies prevented us from making strong inferences. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future research, discuss the role of mitigating factors, and implications for policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
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14
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Gómez-Ramírez J, González-Rosa JJ. Intra- and interhemispheric symmetry of subcortical brain structures: a volumetric analysis in the aging human brain. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:451-462. [PMID: 34089103 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Here, we address the hemispheric interdependency of subcortical structures in the aging human brain. In particular, we investigated whether subcortical volume variations can be explained by the adjacency of structures in the same hemisphere or are due to the interhemispheric development of mirror subcortical structures in the brain. Seven subcortical structures in each hemisphere were automatically segmented in a large sample of 3312 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of elderly individuals in their 70s and 80s. We performed Eigenvalue analysis, and found that anatomic volumes in the limbic system and basal ganglia show similar statistical dependency whether considered in the same hemisphere (intrahemispherically) or different hemispheres (interhemispherically). Our results indicate that anatomic bilaterality of subcortical volumes is preserved in the aging human brain, supporting the hypothesis that coupling between non-adjacent subcortical structures might act as a mechanism to compensate for the deleterious effects of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Javier J González-Rosa
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Cádiz (INIBICA), Cádiz, Spain
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15
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Kraft P, Kraft B. Explaining socioeconomic disparities in health behaviours: A review of biopsychological pathways involving stress and inflammation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:689-708. [PMID: 34048858 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this article was to explore how individuals' position in a socioeconomic hierarchy is related to health behaviours that are related to socioeconomic disparities in health. We identified research which shows that: (a) low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with living in harsh environments, (b) harsh environments are related to increased levels of stress and inflammation, (c) stress and inflammation impact neural systems involved in self-control by sensitising the impulsive system and desensitising the reflective system, (d) the effects are inflated valuations of small immediate rewards and deflated valuations of larger delayed rewards, (e) these effects are observed as increased delay discounting, and (f) delay discounting is positively associated with practicing more unhealthy behaviours. The results are discussed within an adaptive evolutionary framework which lays out how the stress response system, and its interaction with the immune system and brain systems for decision-making and behaviours, provides the biopsychological mechanisms and regulatory shifts that make widespread conditional adaptability possible. Consequences for policy work, interventions, and future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pål Kraft
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1094, Blindern, 0317, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, Bjørknes University College, Lovisenberggata 13, 0456, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Brage Kraft
- Division of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, P. O. Box 23 Vinderen, 0319, Oslo, Norway.
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Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Cerebellum Cortex Fractional Anisotropy in Pre-Adolescents. ADOLESCENTS 2021; 1:70-94. [PMID: 34095893 DOI: 10.3390/adolescents1020007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy is a proxy of the integrity of the cerebellum cortex. However, less is known about how it is shaped by race and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental education and household income. Purpose In a national sample of American pre-adolescents, this study had two aims: to test the effects of two SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy, and to explore racial differences in these effects. Methods Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we analyzed the diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) data of 9565, 9-10-year-old pre-adolescents. The main outcomes were cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy separately calculated for right and left hemispheres using dMRI. The independent variables were parental education and household income; both treated as categorical variables. Age, sex, ethnicity, and family marital status were the covariates. Race was the moderator. To analyze the data, we used mixed-effects regression models without and with interaction terms. We controlled for propensity score and MRI device. Results High parental education and household income were associated with lower right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy. In the pooled sample, we found significant interactions between race and parental education and household income, suggesting that the effects of parental education and household income on the right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy are all significantly larger for White than for Black pre-adolescents. Conclusions The effects of SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on pre-adolescents' cerebellum cortex microstructure and integrity are weaker in Black than in White families. This finding is in line with the Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs), defined as weaker effects of SES indicators for Blacks and other racial and minority groups than for Whites.
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Parental Education and Left Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortical Activity during N-Back Task: An fMRI Study of American Adolescents. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11030401. [PMID: 33809905 PMCID: PMC8004246 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) is a cortical structure that has implications in cognition, memory, reward anticipation, outcome evaluation, decision making, and learning. As such, OFC activity correlates with these cognitive brain abilities. Despite research suggesting race and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental education may be associated with OFC activity, limited knowledge exists on multiplicative effects of race and parental education on OFC activity and associated cognitive ability. Purpose. Using functional brain imaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we tested the multiplicative effects of race and parental education on left lateral OFC activity during an N-Back task. In our study, we used a sociological rather than biological theory that conceptualizes race and SES as proxies of access to the opportunity structure and exposure to social adversities rather than innate and non-modifiable brain differences. We explored racial variation in the effect of parental educational attainment, a primary indicator of SES, on left lateral OFC activity during an N-Back task between Black and White 9–10 years old adolescents. Methods. The ABCD study is a national, landmark, multi-center brain imaging investigation of American adolescents. The total sample was 4290 9–10 years old Black or White adolescents. The independent variables were SES indicators, namely family income, parental education, and neighborhood income. The primary outcome was the average beta weight for N-Back (2 back versus 0 back contrast) in ASEG ROI left OFC activity, measured by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during an N-Back task. Ethnicity, age, sex, subjective SES, and family structure were the study covariates. For data analysis, we used linear regression models. Results. In White but not Black adolescents, parental education was associated with higher left lateral OFC activity during the N-Back task. In the pooled sample, we found a significant interaction between race and parental education on the outcome, suggesting that high parental education is associated with a larger increase in left OFC activity of White than Black adolescents. Conclusions. For American adolescents, race and SES jointly influence left lateral OFC activity correlated with cognition, memory, decision making, and learning. Given the central role of left lateral OFC activity in learning and memory, our finding calls for additional research on contextual factors that reduce the gain of SES for Black adolescents. Cognitive inequalities are not merely due to the additive effects of race and SES but also its multiplicative effects.
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Parental Education, Household Income, and Cortical Surface Area among 9-10 Years Old Children: Minorities' Diminished Returns. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120956. [PMID: 33317053 PMCID: PMC7763341 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Although the effects of parental education and household income on children's brain development are well established, less is known about possible variation in these effects across diverse racial and ethnic groups. According to the Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs) phenomenon, due to structural racism, social stratification, and residential segregation, parental educational attainment and household income show weaker effects for non-White than White children. Purpose: Built on the MDRs framework and conceptualizing race as a social rather than a biological factor, this study explored racial and ethnic variation in the magnitude of the effects of parental education and household income on children's whole-brain cortical surface area. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we used baseline socioeconomic and structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Our analytical sample was 10,262 American children between ages 9 and 10. The independent variables were parental education and household income. The primary outcome was the children's whole-brain cortical surface area. Age, sex, and family marital status were covariates. Race and ethnicity were the moderators. We used mixed-effects regression models for data analysis as participants were nested within families and study sites. Results: High parental education and household income were associated with larger children's whole-brain cortical surface area. The effects of high parental education and high household income on children's whole-brain cortical surface area were modified by race. Compared to White children, Black children showed a diminished return of high parental education on the whole-brain cortical surface area when compared to White children. Asian American children showed weaker effects of household income on the whole-brain cortical surface area when compared to White children. We could not find differential associations between parental education and household income with the whole-brain cortical surface area, when compared to White children, for non-Hispanic and Hispanic children. Conclusions: The effects of parental educational attainment and household income on children's whole-brain cortical surface area are weaker in non-White than White families. Although parental education and income contribute to children's brain development, these effects are unequal across racial groups.
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Nelson CA, Scott RD, Bhutta ZA, Harris NB, Danese A, Samara M. Adversity in childhood is linked to mental and physical health throughout life. BMJ 2020; 371:m3048. [PMID: 33115717 PMCID: PMC7592151 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m3048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of “toxic stress” and huge downstream consequences in disease, suffering, and financial costs make prevention and early intervention crucial, say Charles A Nelson and colleagues
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard David Scott
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, South Central Asia, East Africa and UK
| | | | - Andrea Danese
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London and the National and Specialist CAMHS Clinic for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Muthanna Samara
- Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, London, UK
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Assari S. Race, Ethnicity, Family Socioeconomic Status, and Children's Hippocampus Volume. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 5:25-45. [PMID: 33103023 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v5n4p25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The hippocampus has a significant role in memory, learning, and cognition. Although hippocampal size is highly susceptible to family socioeconomic status (SES) and associated stress, very little is known on racial and ethnic group differences in the effects of SES indicators on hippocampus volume among American children. Purpose This study explored the multiplicative effects of race, ethnicity, and family SES on hippocampus volume among American children. Methods Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD), we analyzed the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data of 9390 9-10 years old children. The main outcome was hippocampus volume. The predictor was parental education. Subjective family SES was the independent variable. Age, sex, and marital status were the covariates. Racial and ethnic group membership were the moderators. To analyze the data, we used regression models. Results High subjective family SES was associated with larger hippocampus volume. This effect was significantly larger for Whites than Black families. Conclusions The effect of subjective family SES on children's hippocampus volume is weaker in Black than White families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.,Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
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Family Income Mediates the Effect of Parental Education on Adolescents' Hippocampus Activation During an N-Back Memory Task. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10080520. [PMID: 32764344 PMCID: PMC7464386 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10080520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe structure, has significant implications in memory formation and learning. Although hippocampus activity is believed to be affected by socioeconomic status (SES), limited knowledge exists on which SES indicators influence hippocampus function. Purpose: This study explored the separate and combined effects of three SES indicators, namely parental education, family income, and neighborhood income, on adolescents’ hippocampus activation during an N-Back memory task. As some of the effects of parental education may be through income, we also tested if the effect of parental education on hippocampus activation during our N-Back memory task is mediated by family or neighborhood income. Methods: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is a national multi-center investigation of American adolescents’ brain development. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of a total sample of 3067 9–10-year-old adolescents were used. The primary outcome was left- hippocampus activation during the N-Back memory task (mean beta weight for N-Back run 1 2 back versus 0 back contrast in left hippocampus). The independent variable was parental education. Family income and neighborhood income were two possible mediators. Age, sex, and marital status were the covariates. To test mediation, we used hierarchical linear regression models first without and then with our mediators. Full mediation was defined according to Kenny. The Sobel test was used to confirm statistical mediation. Results: In the absence of family and neighborhood income in the model, higher parental educational attainment was associated with lower level of left hippocampus activation during the N-Back memory task. This effect was significant while age, sex, and marital status were controlled. The association between parental educational attainment and hippocampus activation during the N-Back memory task was no more significant when we controlled for family and neighborhood income. Instead, family income was associated with hippocampus activation during the N-Back memory task. These findings suggested that family income fully mediates the effect of parental educational attainment on left hippocampus activation during the N-Back memory task. Conclusions: The effect of parental educational attainment on adolescents’ hippocampus activation during an N-Back memory task is fully explained by family income. That means low family income is why adolescents with low-educated parents show highlighted hippocampus activation during an N-Back memory task. Given the central role of the hippocampus in learning and memory and as income is a modifiable factor by tax and economic policies, income-redistribution policies, fair taxation, and higher minimum wage may have implications for promotion of adolescent equality and social justice. There is a need to focus on family-level economic needs across all levels of neighborhood income.
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Abstract
A burgeoning literature has recently begun investigating the links between socioeconomic inequality and the developing brain. This work suggests widespread disparities in both brain structure and function that begin as early as the first year of life. Here we review disparities in neural structure that have been reported in both cortical and subcortical gray matter, as well as in white matter. Disparities in brain function have also been reported, particularly in circuits that support language, memory, executive functioning, and emotion processing. We additionally review recent work investigating the mechanisms that underlie socioeconomic disparities in brain development. Taken together, this work has the potential to identify important targets for intervention in policy and practice.
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Hermann B, Conant LL, Cook CJ, Hwang G, Garcia-Ramos C, Dabbs K, Nair VA, Mathis J, Bonet CNR, Allen L, Almane DN, Arkush K, Birn R, DeYoe EA, Felton E, Maganti R, Nencka A, Raghavan M, Shah U, Sosa VN, Struck AF, Ustine C, Reyes A, Kaestner E, McDonald C, Prabhakaran V, Binder JR, Meyerand ME. Network, clinical and sociodemographic features of cognitive phenotypes in temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 27:102341. [PMID: 32707534 PMCID: PMC7381697 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This study explored the taxonomy of cognitive impairment within temporal lobe epilepsy and characterized the sociodemographic, clinical and neurobiological correlates of identified cognitive phenotypes. 111 temporal lobe epilepsy patients and 83 controls (mean ages 33 and 39, 57% and 61% female, respectively) from the Epilepsy Connectome Project underwent neuropsychological assessment, clinical interview, and high resolution 3T structural and resting-state functional MRI. A comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was reduced to core cognitive domains (language, memory, executive, visuospatial, motor speed) which were then subjected to cluster analysis. The resulting cognitive subgroups were compared in regard to sociodemographic and clinical epilepsy characteristics as well as variations in brain structure and functional connectivity. Three cognitive subgroups were identified (intact, language/memory/executive function impairment, generalized impairment) which differed significantly, in a systematic fashion, across multiple features. The generalized impairment group was characterized by an earlier age at medication initiation (P < 0.05), fewer patient (P < 0.001) and parental years of education (P < 0.05), greater racial diversity (P < 0.05), and greater number of lifetime generalized seizures (P < 0.001). The three groups also differed in an orderly manner across total intracranial (P < 0.001) and bilateral cerebellar cortex volumes (P < 0.01), and rate of bilateral hippocampal atrophy (P < 0.014), but minimally in regional measures of cortical volume or thickness. In contrast, large-scale patterns of cortical-subcortical covariance networks revealed significant differences across groups in global and local measures of community structure and distribution of hubs. Resting-state fMRI revealed stepwise anomalies as a function of cluster membership, with the most abnormal patterns of connectivity evident in the generalized impairment group and no significant differences from controls in the cognitively intact group. Overall, the distinct underlying cognitive phenotypes of temporal lobe epilepsy harbor systematic relationships with clinical, sociodemographic and neuroimaging correlates. Cognitive phenotype variations in patient and familial education and ethnicity, with linked variations in total intracranial volume, raise the question of an early and persisting socioeconomic-status related neurodevelopmental impact, with additional contributions of clinical epilepsy factors (e.g., lifetime generalized seizures). The neuroimaging features of cognitive phenotype membership are most notable for disrupted large scale cortical-subcortical networks and patterns of functional connectivity with bilateral hippocampal and cerebellar atrophy. The cognitive taxonomy of temporal lobe epilepsy appears influenced by features that reflect the combined influence of socioeconomic, neurodevelopmental and neurobiological risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Hermann
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Lisa L Conant
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Cole J Cook
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gyujoon Hwang
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Camille Garcia-Ramos
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kevin Dabbs
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Veena A Nair
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jedidiah Mathis
- Department of Radiology Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Charlene N Rivera Bonet
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Linda Allen
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Dace N Almane
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Karina Arkush
- Neuroscience Innovation Institute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Rasmus Birn
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Edgar A DeYoe
- Department of Radiology Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Elizabeth Felton
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rama Maganti
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew Nencka
- Department of Radiology Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Manoj Raghavan
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Umang Shah
- Neuroscience Innovation Institute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Veronica N Sosa
- Neuroscience Innovation Institute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Aaron F Struck
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Candida Ustine
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Anny Reyes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Erik Kaestner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carrie McDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vivek Prabhakaran
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Binder
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Mary E Meyerand
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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24
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Mullins TS, Campbell EM, Hogeveen J. Neighborhood Deprivation Shapes Motivational-Neurocircuit Recruitment in Children. Psychol Sci 2020; 31:881-889. [PMID: 32603213 PMCID: PMC7436831 DOI: 10.1177/0956797620929299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Implementing motivated behaviors on the basis of prior reward is central to adaptive human functioning, but aberrant reward-motivated behavior is a core feature of neuropsychiatric illness. Children from disadvantaged neighborhoods have decreased access to rewards, which may shape motivational neurocircuits and risk for psychopathology. Here, we leveraged the unprecedented neuroimaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to test the hypothesis that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage shapes the functional recruitment of motivational neurocircuits in children. Specifically, via the ABCD study's monetary-incentive-delay task (N = 6,396 children; age: 9-10 years), we found that children from zip codes with a high Area Deprivation Index demonstrate blunted recruitment of striatum (dorsal and ventral nuclei) and pallidum during reward anticipation. In fact, blunted dorsal striatal recruitment during reward anticipation mediated the association between Area Deprivation Index and increased attention problems. These data reveal a candidate mechanism driving elevated risk for psychopathology in children from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teagan S. Mullins
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico,Psychology Clinical Neurosciences Center, The University of New Mexico
| | - Ethan M. Campbell
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico,Psychology Clinical Neurosciences Center, The University of New Mexico
| | - Jeremy Hogeveen
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico,Psychology Clinical Neurosciences Center, The University of New Mexico,Jeremy Hogeveen, The University of New Mexico, Department of Psychology, Logan Hall MSC03 2220, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 E-mail:
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25
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Uban KA, Kan E, Wozniak JR, Mattson SN, Coles CD, Sowell ER. The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Brain Volume in Children and Adolescents With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:85. [PMID: 32322193 PMCID: PMC7156853 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The positive relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive performance is mediated, in part, by differences in brain structure in typically developing youth. Associations between brain regions that relate to SES overlap with brain regions known to be sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Animal models demonstrate that PAE attenuates neural and cognitive benefits of early life enrichment. However, whether or not environmental factors related to SES are associated with brain development in youth affected by PAE remains unknown in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina A Uban
- Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Eric Kan
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey R Wozniak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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26
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Jenkins LM, Chiang JJ, Vause K, Hoffer L, Alpert K, Parrish TB, Wang L, Miller GE. Subcortical structural variations associated with low socioeconomic status in adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:162-171. [PMID: 31571360 PMCID: PMC7268024 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with a higher probability of multiple exposures (e.g., neighborhood violence, poor nutrition, housing instability, air pollution, and insensitive caregiving) known to affect structural development of subcortical brain regions that subserve threat and reward processing, however, few studies have examined the relationship between SES and such subcortical structures in adolescents. We examined SES variations in volume and surface morphometry of subcortical regions. The sample comprised 256 youth in eighth grade (mean age = 13.9 years), in whom high dimensional deformation mapping of structural 3T magnetic resonance imaging scans was performed. Vertex‐wise linear regression analyses examined associations between income to poverty ratio and surfaces of the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens and pallidum, with the covariates age, pubertal status, and intracranial volume. Given sex differences in pubertal development and subcortical maturation at this age, the analyses were stratified by sex. Among males, who at this age average an earlier pubertal stage than females, the relationship between SES and local shape variation in subcortical regions was almost entirely positive. For females, the relationship between SES and local shape variation was negative. Racial identity was associated with SES in our sample, however supplementary analyses indicated that most of the associations between SES and subcortical structure were independent of it. Although these cross‐sectional results are not definitive, they are consistent with a scenario where low SES delays structural maturation of subcortical regions involved with threat and reward processing. Future longitudinal studies are needed to test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisanne M Jenkins
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jessica J Chiang
- Department of, Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Katherine Vause
- Department of, Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lauren Hoffer
- Department of, Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kathryn Alpert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Todd B Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gregory E Miller
- Department of, Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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