The dual systems model: Review, reappraisal, and reaffirmation

Open-source delay discounting assessment software: Development and usability

Delay discounting (DD) describes the tendency of individuals to devalue the worth of a reward as a function of the delay in receiving it. DD is impaired in many clinical conditions and changes across development. Many existing automated DD tasks are built on copyrighted software and primarily designed for English speakers, which hinders content editing and accessibility. Given this scenario, we had three objectives: (1) to develop open-source DD software named the "Waiting Game" with a user interface (UI) that is easily editable (regarding language, reward type/magnitude and delay duration) via an Excel spreadsheet, and provides automated DD scoring; (2) to create a comprehensive manual (User Guide) to accompany the software; and (3) to assess the software's usability and the clarity of the manual through an online questionnaire completed by experts in cognitive assessment. The software was developed using game design and encompasses three tasks that assess DD under three conditions: (1) hypothetical delays (waiting is imagined) and no real rewards (only points) are gained); (2) real delays (waiting is necessary) and real rewards gained; and (3) real delays and hypothetical rewards. An expert evaluation using the System Usability Scale and the International Test Commission recommendations confirmed the software's suitability. Minor changes were made to the User Guide and UI based on the expert feedback. We conclude that the Waiting Game offers a valid, cost-free, and automated solution for DD assessment that facilitates reward and delay manipulations in hypothetical/real delay and reward paradigms across diverse sociocultural contexts.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Development of Adolescent Risk-Taking: The Mediating Effect of Self-Control and Moderating Effect of Genetic Variations

Risk-taking is a concerning yet prevalent issue during adolescence and can be life-threatening. Examining its etiological sources and evolving pathways helps inform strategies to mitigate adolescents' risk-taking behavior. Studies have found that unfavorable environmental factors, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are associated with momentary levels of risk-taking in adolescents, but little is known about whether ACEs shape the developmental trajectory of risk-taking. Even less research has investigated the underlying mechanisms. Drawing on the self-regulation theory, this study examined the associations between ACEs and the developmental trajectory of adolescent risk-taking. Moreover, it also explored self-control as a mediator and genetic variations as a moderator from a "gene × environment" approach. Participants were 564 Chinese adolescents (48.40% males, Mage = 14.20 years, SD = 1.52). Adolescents reported their ACEs and self-control at T1 and risk-taking three times, with a six-month interval between each time point. Adolescents' saliva was collected at T1 for genetic extraction, and polygenetic index was created based on the gene-by-environment interaction between SNPs and ACEs for self-control via the leave-one-out machine learning approach. Findings of latent growth modeling revealed that adolescents' risk-taking decreased over time. ACEs were directly and indirectly through self-control associated with high initial levels of, and a rapid decrease in, risk-taking, especially for those with a higher polygenetic index compared to those with a lower polygenetic index. Theoretically, these results suggest a tripartite model of adolescent risk-taking, such that risk-taking is the combined function of adverse experiences in early years, low self-control, and carriage of sensitive genes. Practically, intervention strategies should reduce childhood adversities, build up self-control, and consider the potential impacts of genetic plasticity.

The preference for surprise in reinforcement learning underlies the differences in developmental changes in risk preference between autistic and neurotypical youth

BACKGROUND

Risk preference changes nonlinearly across development. Although extensive developmental research on the neurotypical (NTP) population has shown that risk preference is highest during adolescence, developmental changes in risk preference in autistic (AUT) people, who tend to prefer predictable behaviors, have not been investigated. Here, we aimed to investigate these changes and underlying computational mechanisms.

METHOD

We ran a game-like risk-sensitive reinforcement learning task on 75 participants aged 6-30 years (AUT group, n = 31; NTP group, n = 44). Focusing on choices between alternatives with the same objective value but different risks, we calculated the risk preference and stay probability of a risky choice after a rewarding or non-rewarding outcome. Analyses using t-tests and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Using the choice-related data of each participant, we fit four reinforcement learning models and compared the fit of each model to the data. Furthermore, we validated the results of model fitting with multiple methods, model recovery, parameter recovery, and posterior predictive check.

RESULTS

We found a significant difference in nonlinear developmental changes in risk preference between the AUT and NTP groups. The computational modeling approach with reinforcement learning models revealed that individual preferences for surprise modulated such preferences.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that for NTP people, adolescence is a developmental period involving risk preference, possibly due to lower surprise aversion. Conversely, for AUT people, who show opposite developmental change of risk preference, adolescence could be a developmental period involving risk avoidance because of low surprise preference.

Adolescence Does Not Divert Sex Offending Adolescents of Color from Criminal Legal System Involvement

After the United States Civil War, during Reconstruction, Southern states targeted Black youth and men for incarceration and forced labor, often charging them with rape, spawning the Black male rapist myth. This study explores evidence of a Reconstruction-era ethos in present-day treatment of youth of color accused of sexual assault. Specifically, we examined effects of perpetrator age and race on legal outcomes in 382 alleged child sexual abuse cases. There were 291 adult perpetrators (91% men, M age = 34; 76% White, 20% Black, 2% biracial, 2% Latinx, and 1% Asian) and 91 adolescent perpetrators (96% boys, M age = 14; 73% White, 22% Black, 4% biracial, and 1% Latinx). Supporting hypotheses, adolescent (vs. adult) perpetrators were less frequently arrested or referred for prosecution-but only when they were White. In contrast, for perpetrators of color, being an adolescent (vs. an adult) did not reduce arrest or prosecutorial referral likelihood. Additionally, cases involving adolescents of color (vs. White adolescents) were more immediately criminally investigated. Thus, youthfulness does not proffer protection from criminal legal system involvement for adolescents of color accused of sex offending-evidence of modern and persistent racism rooted in a nation's past.

Risk-Taking Behaviors of Young Children: The Role of Children's and Parents' Socioemotional and Cognitive Control Systems

To prevent young children's injuries, studies have considered both child (e.g., temperament, age, sex) and parent factors (e.g., parental supervision and style, attachment) associated with risk-taking behaviors. Building on risk-taking theory literature, Jonas and Kochanska (Jonas & Kochanska, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 46:1573-1583, 2018) adapted the dual systems model (Steinberg, Developmental Review 28:78-106, 2008) to children and suggested that risk-taking propensity arises from an imbalance between the overactivation of the child's socioemotional system (sensation seeking or traits of surgency) and the lower cognitive control system (lack of self-regulation or of effortful control). However, from an intergenerational transmission perspective, it is relevant to consider the role both parents' and the children's socioemotional and cognitive control systems have on a child's risk-taking behaviors. The current longitudinal study is the first to examines sensation seeking and lack of self-regulation in parents in addition to the child's surgency-effortful control imbalance to understand the child's risk-taking behaviors. The sample comprised 177 two-parent families (89 boys) observed at two time points (child age ranges: 12-18 months and 24-30 months). Both parents provided sociodemographic information and completed self-reported questionnaires on sensation seeking and self-regulation, child's temperament and risk-taking behaviors. Results showed that fathers' higher sensation-seeking and mothers' lack of self-regulation were associated with higher children's risk-taking behaviors. After controlling for these parent factors and child sex, child surgency-effortful imbalance was strongly associated with higher children's risk-taking behaviors. An adapted dual systems model including both parents (sensation seeking and self-regulation) and children (surgency-effortful imbalance) seems a promising avenue to a fuller understanding of children's risk-taking behaviors.

Immunity for counterproductive attentional capture by reward signals among individuals with depressive symptoms

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of attentional capture by reward signals in individuals with depression during classical conditioning.

METHODS

A variant of the additional singleton paradigm was adopted with a high- or low-reward signal as the prominent distracting stimulus. In Experiment 1, 46 participants with depressive symptoms and 46 healthy controls were asked to conduct a keypress response to the visual target. In Experiment 2, 58 participants with depressive symptoms and 58 healthy controls were asked to conduct a fixation response to the visual target.

RESULTS

In the keypress response task, the presence of high-reward signals slowed down the responses of participants in the control group, whereas the response times of individuals with depression were not significantly affected. In the fixation response task, when the high-reward signal was presented, individuals with depression were more likely to choose the target location as the first saccade destination, compared with healthy controls. In addition, individuals with depression exhibited fewer oculomotor capture by high-reward signals than healthy controls, a trait which was closely linked to the enhanced saccadic inhibition.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study indicated that individuals with depression exhibited an abnormality in attentional capture by reward-related conditioned stimuli during classical conditioning.

The developing mouse dopaminergic system: Cortical-subcortical shift in D1/D2 receptor balance and increasing regional differentiation

The dopaminergic system of the brain is involved in complex cognitive functioning and undergoes extensive reorganization during development. Yet, these changes are poorly characterized. We have quantified the density of dopamine 1- and 2-receptor (D1 and D2) positive cells across the forebrain of male and female mice at five developmental stages using validated transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein in cells producing D1 or D2 mRNA. After analyzing >4,500 coronal brain images, a cortico-subcortical shift in D1/D2 balance was discovered, with increasing D1 dominance in cortical regions as a maturational pattern that occurs earlier in females. We describe postnatal trajectories of D1 and D2 cell densities across major brain regions and observe increasing regional differentiation of D1 densities through development. Our results provide the most comprehensive overview of the developing dopaminergic system to date, and an empirical foundation for further experimental and computational investigations of dopaminergic signaling.

Social support and self-efficacy during early adolescence: Dual impact of protective and promotive links to mental health and wellbeing

This study aimed to assess the impact of sources of social support and dimensions of self-efficacy on psychological symptoms and mental wellbeing among early adolescents. A total of 274 adolescents aged 10-14 from Darjeeling, India, participated in the study. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) were utilized to assess dimensions of protective/promotive factors. Nested multivariable regression models assessed associations between age, gender, social support, and self-efficacy on psychological symptoms (internalising, externalising, and total difficulties) and mental wellbeing outcomes (mental wellbeing, optimism, and resilience). Results indicated that 13% of early adolescents screened positive for clinical depression and 44% reported poor mental wellbeing. Emotional and academic self-efficacy, along with family support, were significantly associated with reduced psychological symptoms. Conversely, social, and academic self-efficacy, along with support from friends, were linked to higher levels of mental wellbeing. Regression analyses revealed that dimensions of social support and self-efficacy explained a greater proportion of variability in mental wellbeing outcomes (R2 = 0.37-0.64) than in psychological symptom outcomes (R2 = 0.19-0.22), suggesting a stronger promotive effect on mental wellbeing compared to a protective effect on psychological symptoms during early adolescence. Findings suggest the urgent need for early mental health intervention to strengthen systems of social support and support self-efficacy among early adolescents. Multi-level or sequential interventions that target protective and promotive factors are a key strategy to addressing the global youth mental health crisis.

Neuroanatomical Variability and Substance Use Initiation in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Importance

The extent to which neuroanatomical variability associated with early substance involvement, which is associated with subsequent risk for substance use disorder development, reflects preexisting risk and/or consequences of substance exposure remains poorly understood.

Objective

To examine neuroanatomical features associated with early substance use initiation and to what extent associations may reflect preexisting vulnerability.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Cohort study using data from baseline through 3-year follow-up assessments of the ongoing longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Children aged 9 to 11 years at baseline were recruited from 22 sites across the US between June 1, 2016, and October 15, 2018. Data were analyzed from February to September 2024.

Exposures

Substance use initiation through 3-year follow-up (ie, age <15 years).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Self-reported alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and other substance use initiation and baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived estimates of brain structure (ie, global and regional cortical volume, thickness, surface area, sulcal depth, and subcortical volume). Covariates included family (eg, familial relationships), pregnancy (eg, prenatal exposure to substances), child (eg, sex and pubertal status), and MRI (eg, scanner model) variables.

Results

Among 9804 children (mean [SD] baseline age, 9.9 [0.6] years; 5160 boys [52.6%]; 213 Asian [2.2%], 1474 Black [15.0%], 514 Hispanic/Latino [5.2%], 29 American Indian [0.3%], 10 Pacific Islander [0.1%], 7463 White [76.1%], and 75 other [0.7%]) with nonmissing baseline neuroimaging and covariate data, 3460 (35.3%) reported substance use initiation before age 15. Initiation of any substance or alcohol use was associated with thinner cortex in prefrontal regions (eg, rostral middle frontal gyrus, β = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.02 to -0.05; P = 6.99 × 10-6) but thicker cortex in all other lobes, larger globus pallidus and hippocampal volumes, as well as greater global indices of brain structure (eg, larger whole brain volume, β = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.06; P = 2.80 × 10-8) following Bonferroni or false discovery rate multiple testing correction. Cannabis use initiation was associated with lower right caudate volume (β = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.05; P = .002). Post hoc examinations restricting to postbaseline initiation suggested that the majority of associations, including thinner prefrontal cortex and greater whole brain volume, preceded initiation.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of children, preexisting neuroanatomical variability was associated with substance use initiation. In addition to putative neurotoxic effects of substance exposure, brain structure variability may reflect predispositional risk for initiating substance use earlier in life with potential cascading implications for development of later problems.

Neurostructural features predict binge drinking in emerging adulthood: Evidence from a 5-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking (BD) involves consuming large amounts of alcohol within a short timeframe, leading to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08g/dL or above. This pattern of alcohol consumption is prevalent among young adults and has significant implications for brain structure and subsequent drinking behaviors.

METHODS

In this prospective longitudinal study, we employed zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to examine whether various neurostructural features (i.e., volume, surface area, cortical thickness) of brain regions involved in executive and emotional/motivational processes at the age of 18-19 could predict number of BD episodes five years later, at ages 23-24, once participants were expected to complete their university degree. Specifically, we recorded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 68 students who completed both the baseline MRI and follow-up alcohol use assessment, with the aim of analyzing the predictive value of these neurostructural characteristics five years later.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that a larger surface area in the caudal division of the right middle frontal gyrus was significantly associated with a higher incidence rate of BD episodes (IRR = 2.24, 95 % CI = 1.28-3.91, p = 0.005). Conversely, a smaller surface area in the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex was associated with a higher incidence rate of BD episodes (IRR = 0.61, 95 % CI = 0.44-0.85, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that specific neurostructural characteristics during adolescence can predict BD behaviors in young adulthood. This highlights the potential of neuroimaging to identify individuals at risk for developing problematic alcohol use.

Sex differences in the prospective association of excessively long reaction times and hazardous cannabis use at six months

Objective

The neurocognitive risk mechanisms predicting divergent outcomes likely differ between men and women who use cannabis recreationally. Increasingly, the use of descriptive distributions including the ex-Gaussian has been applied to draw stronger inferences about neurocognitive health in clinical populations. The current project examines whether the long tail of reaction times (RTs) in a distribution, as characterized by the ex-Gaussian parameter tau which may represent difficulty with the regulation of arousal, predicts problematic cannabis use 6 months later in those who use cannabis recreationally, and whether sex moderates these prospective associations.

Method

Young adults (ages 18-30, mean age 20.5 years, N =159, 57.2% women, 69.2% Caucasian) who recreationally used cannabis either occasionally (at least once per month) or frequently (three times or more per week) completed the Stroop Color-Word Task at baseline. Ex-Gaussian parameter tau was estimated for each participant. Self-report of hazardous cannabis use (CUDIT-R) and dysregulation of negative (DERS) and positive emotions (DERS-Positive) were obtained at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

Results

For those with larger tau at baseline, being a man (but not a woman) was associated with increased difficulty regulating positive emotions concurrently (b = -0.01, F (1,159) = 5.48, p = 0.02), and with hazardous cannabis use six months later (b = -0.007, F (1,159) = 4.42, p = 0.037) after controlling for baseline hazardous cannabis use.

Conclusions

Excessively long RTs during cognitive performance may help characterize men at risk for increased hazardous use, which contributes to understanding between-sex heterogeneity in pathways towards cannabis use disorders.

Developmental stasis, sensitivity, and disturbance: Linking concepts to analytic methods using impulsivity and alcohol use

The goals of this article are to (a) describe and contrast conceptual characteristics of periods of developmental sensitivity, disturbance, and stasis, and (b) translate these concepts to testable analytic models with an example dataset. Although the concept of developmental sensitivity is widely known, the concepts of developmental stasis and disturbance have received less attention. We first define the concepts and their principles and then, using repeated measures data on impulsivity and alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood, propose the dual latent change score (LCS) growth model as one analytic approach for evaluating evidence for key characteristics of these developmental concepts via examination of intraindividual time-varying associations.

Does cognitive control mediate the relationship between peer presence and adolescent risk-taking? An ERP study

Peer presence influences risk-taking behavior, particularly in adolescence. Based on the dual system model, this event-related potential study examined whether and how the presence of a peer displayed a preference for risky behavior would increase adolescents' risk-taking by disrupting their cognitive control processes in either emotional or non-emotional contexts. A sample of 106 adolescents (17-19 years of age) completed two Stoop tasks and a Balloon Analog Risk Task under three peer presence conditions. Results revealed that compared to other conditions, the presence of a risk-averse peer caused adolescents to make safer decisions through improving their conflict monitoring (more negative N200-diff), whereas a risk-preference peer's presence led adolescents to more risky decisions through disrupting their conflict resolution (more positive N450-diff) but they were only observed on the Emotional Stroop task. These findings suggest that different peer presence contexts could increase or decrease adolescents' risk-taking behaviors by influencing their cognitive control under an emotional context rather than in a non-emotional context.

Development of Self-Reported Reward Responsiveness and Inhibitory Control and the Role of Clinical and Neural Predictors

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the development of adolescent reward responsiveness and inhibitory control is important as they are implicated in key outcomes, such as depression. However, relatively few studies have examined the self-reported experience of this development longitudinally, and past findings have been mixed. Here, we examined the longitudinal development of self-reported reward responsiveness and inhibitory control in youth, as well as clinical and neural measures as predictors of these longitudinal trajectories.

METHOD

We assessed 223 youth aged 9-17 across 36 months. We modeled growth trajectories of several measures of reward responsiveness and inhibitory control using multilevel models. We tested reward-related functional connectivity, depression symptoms, and parental risk for psychopathology as moderators of longitudinal growth.

RESULTS

Self-reported inhibitory control increased linearly across adolescence. However, contrary to hypotheses and common models of adolescent development, self-reported reward responsiveness decreased linearly across adolescence. Baseline functional connectivity and clinical risk measures did not significantly moderate trajectories.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that within-person changes in the phenomenological experience of reward responsiveness may not match developmental expectations based on cross-sectional and neuroimaging studies. More attention is needed to the longitudinal study of subjective experience of reward responsiveness.

Psychiatric neuroimaging designs for individualised, cohort, and population studies

Psychiatric neuroimaging faces challenges to rigour and reproducibility that prompt reconsideration of the relative strengths and limitations of study designs. Owing to high resource demands and varying inferential goals, current designs differentially emphasise sample size, measurement breadth, and longitudinal assessments. In this overview and perspective, we provide a guide to the current landscape of psychiatric neuroimaging study designs with respect to this balance of scientific goals and resource constraints. Through a heuristic data cube contrasting key design features, we discuss a resulting trade-off among small sample, precision longitudinal studies (e.g., individualised studies and cohorts) and large sample, minimally longitudinal, population studies. Precision studies support tests of within-person mechanisms, via intervention and tracking of longitudinal course. Population studies support tests of generalisation across multifaceted individual differences. A proposed reciprocal validation model (RVM) aims to recursively leverage these complementary designs in sequence to accumulate evidence, optimise relative strengths, and build towards improved long-term clinical utility.

Youths' sensitivity to social media feedback: A computational account

While it is often argued that continuous exposure to social feedback is specifically challenging for the hypersensitive developing brain, empirical evidence is lacking. Across three studies, we reveal the developmental differences and computational mechanisms that underlie the social media engagement and feedback processing of adolescents and adults. First, using a reinforcement learning model on a large Instagram trace dataset (N = 16,613, 1.6+ million posts), we show that adolescents are more sensitive to social feedback than adults. Second, in an experimental study (N = 194), we show that adolescents' mood is affected more strongly by a reduction in likes than adults. Last, in a neuroimaging study (N = 96), we show that social media feedback sensitivity is related to individual differences in subcortical-limbic brain volumes of emerging adults. Together, these findings highlight the need for digital competence programs to help youth manage the constant feedback they encounter on social media platforms.

Associations between polygenic scores for cognitive and non-cognitive factors of educational attainment and measures of behavior, psychopathology, and neuroimaging in the adolescent brain cognitive development study

BACKGROUND

Educational attainment (EduA) is correlated with life outcomes, and EduA itself is influenced by both cognitive and non-cognitive factors. A recent study performed a 'genome-wide association study (GWAS) by subtraction,' subtracting genetic effects for cognitive performance from an educational attainment GWAS to create orthogonal 'cognitive' and 'non-cognitive' factors. These cognitive and non-cognitive factors showed associations with behavioral health outcomes in adults; however, whether these correlations are present during childhood is unclear.

METHODS

Using data from up to 5517 youth (ages 9-11) of European ancestry from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study, we examined associations between polygenic scores (PGS) for cognitive and non-cognitive factors and cognition, risk tolerance, decision-making & personality, substance initiation, psychopathology, and brain structure (e.g. volume, fractional anisotropy [FA]). Within-sibling analyses estimated whether observed genetic associations may be consistent with direct genetic effects.

RESULTS

Both PGSs were associated with greater cognition and lower impulsivity, drive, and severity of psychotic-like experiences. The cognitive PGS was also associated with greater risk tolerance, increased odds of choosing delayed reward, and decreased likelihood of ADHD and bipolar disorder; the non-cognitive PGS was associated with lack of perseverance and reward responsiveness. Cognitive PGS were more strongly associated with larger regional cortical volumes; non-cognitive PGS were more strongly associated with higher FA. All associations were characterized by small effects.

CONCLUSIONS

While the small sizes of these associations suggest that they are not effective for prediction within individuals, cognitive and non-cognitive PGS show unique associations with phenotypes in childhood at the population level.

Examining the mediating effect of real and cyber self-control on cyberbullying and health risk behaviors among secondary vocational students in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Cyberbullying and health risk behaviors are pervasive issues for secondary vocational students that not only detrimentally impact their academic achievement but also pose a significant threat to overall health. The purpose of this study was to understand the current situation of cyberbullying and health risk behaviors among secondary vocational students in China and to explore the relationships among cyberbullying, self-control, self-control over internet usage, and health risk behaviors through a mediation model.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. From March to April 2023, a self-administered questionnaire was completed by a cluster sample of 1184 students from grades 1 to 3 at three secondary vocational schools in Jilin Province. The researchers utilized a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization Scale (CAV), the Adolescent Health Related Risky Behavior Inventory (AHRBI), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Internet Usage Self-Control Scale (IUSCS-CS) to assess the prevalence and impact of cyberbullying and health risk behaviors. Descriptive statistics, spearman correlation analyses. Finally, the Process plug-in V2.16.3 was used to analyze a mediation model for the data.

RESULTS

Among secondary vocational students, 839 individuals (70.86%) experienced cyberbullying and 1036 individuals (87.50%) had one or more health risk behaviors. A chi-square test showed that the differences in cyberbullying incidence were statistically significant (P < 0.05) for being children, type of accommodation, residence, ethnicity, purpose of using the internet, and family composition. Statistically significant differences in health risk behaviors were observed based on gender, type of accommodation, residence, ethnicity, academic achievement, classmate relationships, purpose of using the internet, and family composition (P < 0.05). Health risk behaviors and cyberbullying were correlated (r = 0.60), health risk behaviors and self-control and internet usage self-control were negatively correlated (r = -0.42, -0.50). Mediation analysis indicated that self-control (0.02, 0.08) and internet usage self-control (0.08, 0.17) partially mediated the association between cyberbullying and health risk behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Secondary vocational students exhibit a high prevalence of cyberbullying and health risk behaviors. The study confirmed that self-control and internet usage self-control has an important role in mediating cybeibullying and health risk behaviors. Adolescent health promoters should develop targeted strategies to enhance the self-control of secondary vocational school students to mitigate their engagement in health risk behaviors.

Binge drinking trajectories across adolescence and early adulthood: Associations with genetic influences for dual-systems impulsive personality traits, alcohol consumption, and alcohol use disorder

Binge drinking is a relatively common pattern of alcohol use among youth with normative frequency trajectories peaking in emerging and early adulthood. Frequent binge drinking is a critical risk factor for not only the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but also increased odds of alcohol-related injury and death, and thus constitutes a significant public health concern. Changes in binge drinking across development are strongly associated with changes in impulsive personality traits (IPTs) which have been hypothesized as intermediate phenotypes associated with genetic risk for heavy alcohol use and AUD. The current study sought to examine the extent to which longitudinal changes in binge drinking and intoxication frequency across adolescence and early adulthood are associated with genetic influences underlying dual-systems IPTs (i.e., top-down [lack of self-control] and bottom-up [sensation seeking and urgency] constructs) alongside genetic risk for alcohol consumption and AUD. Associations were tested using conditional latent growth curve polygenic score (PGS) models in three independent longitudinal samples (N=10,554). Results suggested consistent significant and independent associations across all samples between sensation seeking PGSs and model intercepts (i.e., higher frequency of binge drinking at first measurement occasion) and alcohol consumption PGSs and model slopes (i.e., steeper increases toward peak binge drinking frequency). Urgency PGSs were not significantly associated with changes in binge drinking or intoxication frequency. Collectively, these findings highlight the role of unique but correlated IPT and alcohol-specific genetic factors in the emergence and escalation of binge drinking during adolescence and early adulthood.

Adolescent alcohol consumption predicted by differences in electrophysiological functional connectivity and neuroanatomy

Alcohol consumption during adolescence has been associated with neuroanatomical abnormalities and the appearance of future disorders. However, the latest advances in this field point to the existence of risk profiles which may lead to some individuals into an early consumption. To date, some studies have established predictive models of consumption based on sociodemographic, behavioral, and anatomical-functional variables using MRI. However, the neuroimaging variables employed are usually restricted to local and hemodynamic phenomena. Given the potential of connectome approaches, and the high temporal dynamics of electrophysiology, we decided to explore the relationship between future alcohol consumption and electrophysiological connectivity measured by MEG in a cohort of 83 individuals aged 14 to 16. As a result, we found a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and the functional connectivity in frontal, parietal, and frontoparietal connections. Once this relationship was described, multivariate linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive capacity of functional connectivity in conjunction with other neuroanatomical and behavioral variables described in the literature. Finally, the multivariate linear regression analysis determined the importance of anatomical and functional variables in the prediction of alcohol consumption but failed to find associations with impulsivity, sensation seeking, and executive function scales. In conclusion, the predictive traits obtained in these models were closely associated with changes occurring during adolescence, suggesting the existence of different paths in neurodevelopment that have the potential to influence adolescents' relationship with alcohol consumption.

Capacity to consent: a scoping review of youth decision-making capacity for gender-affirming care

BACKGROUND

Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth often seek a variety of gender-affirming healthcare services, including pubertal suppression and hormone therapy requiring that TGE youth and their parents participate in informed consent and decision making. While youth must demonstrate the ability to understand and appreciate treatment options, risks, benefits, and alternatives as well as make and express a treatment choice, standardized approaches to assess the capacity of TGE youth to consent or assent in clinical practice are not routinely used. This scoping review identified the currently available data regarding adolescent capacity to consent to gender-affirming medical treatments.

METHODS

Articles relevant to assessing adolescent capacity for clinical decision-making were identified using OVID Medline, Web of Science, and PubMed. Articles were reviewed and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Eight relevant articles were identified using three tools for measuring adolescent clinical decision-making capacity: Measure of Understanding, Measure of Competence, and MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool (MacCAT). These studies explored hypothetical treatment decisions, mental health treatment decisions, HIV treatment decisions, genetic testing decisions, and gender-affirming medical decisions. Only one study specifically examines the capacity of TGE youth to consent to medical treatments. Age was correlated with capacity in most, but not all studies. Other studies found cognitive measures (IQ, literacy, numeracy) may impact important aspects of capacity (understanding and reasoning).

CONCLUSIONS

For clinicians caring for TGE youth, tools such as the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T) may prove useful, in conjunction with consideration of youth developmental abilities and utilization of shared decision-making practices. A standardized, collaborative approach to assessing TGE youth capacity would benefit TGE youth and their parents, and allow clinicians to more easily resolve ethical concerns.

Multiple risk-taking behaviors in Korean adolescents and associated factors: 2020 and 2021 Korea youth risk behavior web-based survey

OBJECTIVE

Despite the negative health impact of multiple risk-taking behaviors (RTBs), there is a lack of understanding of adolescents who are more prone to multiple RTBs. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, mental, and physical health variables associated with increased susceptibility to multiple RTBs in each sex.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from the 2020 and 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used. A total of 106,979 Korean adolescents (55,460 men and 51,519 women) were assessed on five RTBs (alcohol use, smoking, sexual intercourse, illicit substance use, no seat belt wearing). In comparison to no RTB group, odds ratios of the relevant covariate factors were calculated in one RTB or multiple RTBs groups.

RESULTS

Male and female adolescents engaging in multiple RTBs were 6.4% and 3.8%, respectively. Increasing age, low subjective socioeconomic status, and living in rural areas were associated with multiple RTBs regardless of sex. All mental health variables except anxiety were associated with multiple RTBs in both sexes. Physical inactivity and obesity were associated with decreased odds of multiple RTBs in both sexes.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies diverse factors associated with multiple RTBs of Korean adolescents and demonstrates existing sex differences. Age and mental health status are the most critical factors that distinguish multiple risk-taking groups from those involved in one or no RTB.

Combined Effects of Social Exclusion and Social Rank Feedback on Risky Decision-Making Across Adolescence

Adolescents' need to belong and concerns about social status are thought to increase risk-taking, however, not much is known about how feedback about social rank and the effects of social exclusion moderate risky decision-making. To this end, the present study examined how social rank feedback moderates the effects of social exclusion on risky decisions during adolescence. The experimental study included a total of 122 participants (11-19 years; 44% female). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either individual or social rank feedback in the Columbia Card Task after social inclusion and exclusion via the Cyberball paradigm. Contrary to expectations, social exclusion led to more cautious decision-making. Mid-adolescents were most influenced by the combination of social exclusion and social rank feedback, while late adolescents became more cautious with individual feedback. These findings suggest that peer influences also have adaptive effects, increasing sensitivity to risk information, with developmental differences in the role of social rank.

Lost in transition: A protocol for a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study for addressing challenges in opioid treatment for transition-age adults

BACKGROUND

In the United States, there has been a concerning rise in the prevalence of opioid use disorders (OUD) among transition-age (TA) adults, 18 to 25-years old, with a disproportionate impact on individuals and families covered by Medicaid. Of equal concern, the treatment system continues to underperform for many young people, emphasizing the need to address the treatment challenges faced by this vulnerable population at a pivotal juncture in their life course. Pharmacotherapy is the most effective treatment for OUD, yet notably, observational studies reveal gaps in the receipt of and retention in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), resulting in poor outcomes for many TA adults in treatment. Few current studies on OUD treatment quality explicitly consider the influence of individual, organizational, and contextual factors, especially for young people whose social roles and institutional ties remain in flux.

METHODS

We introduce a retrospective, longitudinal cohort design to study treatment quality practices and outcomes among approximately 65,000 TA adults entering treatment for OUD between 2012 and 2025 in New York. We propose to combine data from multiple sources, including Medicaid claims and encounter data and a state registry of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment episodes, to examine three aspects of OUD treatment quality: 1) MOUD use, including MOUD option (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone, or extended-release [XR] naltrexone); 2) adherence to pharmacotherapy and retention in treatment; and 3) adverse events (e.g., overdoses). Using rigorous analytical methods, we will provide insights into how variation in treatment practices and outcomes are structured more broadly by multilevel processes related to communities, treatment programs, and characteristics of the patient, as well as their complex interplay.

DISCUSSION

Our findings will inform clinical decision making by patients and providers as well as public health responses to the rising number of young adults seeking treatment for OUD amidst the opioid and polysubstance overdose crisis in the U.S.

Adolescent-to-adult gains in cognitive flexibility are adaptively supported by reward sensitivity, exploration, and neural variability

Cognitive flexibility exhibits dynamic changes throughout development, with different forms of flexibility showing dissociable developmental trajectories. In this review, we propose that an adolescent-specific mode of flexibility in the face of changing environmental contingencies supports the emergence of adolescent-to-adult gains in cognitive shifting efficiency. We first describe how cognitive shifting abilities monotonically improve from childhood to adulthood, accompanied by increases in brain state flexibility, neural variability, and excitatory/inhibitory balance. We next summarize evidence supporting the existence of a dopamine-driven, adolescent peak in flexible behavior that results in reward seeking, undirected exploration, and environmental sampling. We propose a neurodevelopmental framework that relates these adolescent behaviors to the refinement of neural phenotypes relevant to mature cognitive flexibility, and thus highlight the importance of the adolescent period in fostering healthy neurocognitive trajectories.

Changes in Restless Sleep, Self-Control, and Alcohol-Related Problems with Police from Late Adolescence to Adulthood

Sleep quality is crucial for healthy adolescent brain development, which has downstream effects on self-control and involvement in risky behaviors, such as alcohol use. While previous studies have found that sleep and facets of self-control are associated with patterns of alcohol use, few have assessed whether these constructs are tied to alcohol-related problems with law enforcement during the transitional period from adolescence to adulthood. The current study uses self-report panel data from ages 16 to 27 from a population-based sample of U.S. youth (N = 956; 36.86% female). The goal of the current study is to assess the association between changes in restless sleep, impulsivity, sensation seeking, and problems with police during or shortly after consuming alcohol from adolescence to adulthood to begin to address this gap in the existing literature. Results from a multivariate latent growth curve model reveal that faster increases in restless sleep and slower declines in impulsivity are associated with slower declines in police contact. Correlated changes between restless sleep, impulsivity, and police contact are slightly greater from ages 16-21 than for ages 22-27, with males showing stronger associations. The reported results suggest that identifying developmental mechanisms between changes in poor sleep, impulsivity, and alcohol use behaviors during this life-course phase will be crucial moving forward to help divert youth away from alcohol-related contact with the police.

Disentangling the effects of self-control and the use of tobacco and cannabis on violence perpetration from childhood to early adulthood

Associations among self-control, substance use (e.g., tobacco and cannabis use), and violence perpetration have been documented during the adolescent years, but the direction of these associations is not well understood. Using five assessments (covering 9 years) from a prospective-longitudinal study, we examined self-control as a precursor and subsequent mechanism of associations between adolescent substance use and physical violence perpetration. Data came from a large, ethnically diverse sample (n = 1,056). Youth reported their self-control at ages 11, 13, 15, 17, and 20; and their tobacco and cannabis use, and physical violence perpetration at ages 13, 15, 17, and 20. Cross-lagged panel analyses examined associations between these constructs over time. More self-control in late childhood and early adolescence was associated with less future tobacco and cannabis use and physical violence perpetration. Tobacco use was partially associated with more physical violence over time; these associations were not mediated by self-control. Tobacco use in early adolescence was associated with future cannabis use; during late adolescence, tobacco and cannabis use were reciprocally associated over time. Cannabis use was not associated with future physical violence perpetration. Early adolescent self-control plays an important role in later substance use and violence perpetration, and tobacco use has unique links with both later cannabis use and violence perpetration. Supporting the capacities for self-control in late childhood and early adolescence and preventing the initiation and use of entry-level substances could play an important role in preventing both substance use and violence perpetration and their many costs to society.

The effect of aggressive group norms on young adults' conformity behavior in WhatsApp chats: a vignette-based experiment

Social networking and messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, have become an essential social environment for adolescents and young adults (AYA). While facilitating connectivity, they also bear hazards, including cyber-aggression. This study investigates the impact of (aggressive) group norms on AYA's propensity to expect cyberaggressive behaviors within different group chats. Based on a vignette scenario, realistically simulated WhatsApp group chats enabled scrutinizing, if and how exemplary reactions (funny, aggressive, friendly) of group members influence AYA's conformity to cyber-aggression (N = 500, aged 16 to 29). Additionally, we examined the effect of chat group type-close friends versus fellow students-on the anticipation of aggressive reactions. Sociodemographic, social, and developmental-psychological factors were evaluated for potential effects. Multilevel logistic regression analyses indicated that aggressive group norms significantly predict cyber-aggression anticipation, while no effect of chat group type was observed. Controlling for the size and vivacity of participant's friend group, gender, age, and educational status were significant predictors: males, younger participants, and non-university students expected higher levels of cyber-aggression conformity. This study underlines the importance of group dynamics on perceptions of cyber-aggression and hints at individual risk factors for AYA's digital communication behavior.

Parental Psychological Control and College Students' Negative Risk-Taking Behaviors: The Chain-Mediating of Autonomy and Self-Control

Purpose

To deeply explore the relationship between parental psychological control and negative risk-taking behaviors among Chinese college students and the mediating role of autonomy and self-control, providing a reference basis for preventing and intervening in college students' negative risk-taking behaviors.

Patients and Methods

Questionnaires was administered to 1173 college students (Mage=20.7 ± 1.32) in Hunan Province using four scales. Subsequently, we processed and analyzed the collected data using SPSS 26.0 software.

Results

Parental psychological control demonstrated a significantly positive correlation with college students' negative risk-taking behaviors. The impact of parental psychological control on college students' negative risk-taking behaviors was mediated by self-control and the combined effect of autonomy and self-control.

Conclusion

Among Chinese college students, autonomy and self-control act as a sequential mediating factor between negative risk-taking behaviors and parental psychological control. This study uncovered the underlying process by which parenting practices affected college students' negative risk-taking behaviors. It offers empirical support for successful treatments aimed at reducing future risk-taking behaviors among college students, as well as some evidence in favor of the crucial part that parenting styles play in the development of positive adolescents.

The nature and extent of youth sextortion: Legal implications and directions for future research

Sextortion, the threatened dissemination of explicit, intimate, or embarrassing images of a sexual nature without consent, is an understudied problem. Despite a recent increase in reported incidents among adolescents in the United States, little is known about the nature and extent of sextortion among this population. The current research explores sextortion behaviors among a national sample of 4972 middle and high school students (mean age = 14.5) for the purpose of illuminating how many youth are targeted, and understanding various characteristics of the incident (including who was involved, what offenders wanted, what offenders did, and who targets told). About 5% of youth reported that they were victims of sextortion, primarily by people they knew. Many of those targeted did not disclose the incident to adults. Implications for future research and the law are discussed.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review

Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Clinicians often assume that the specific difficulties associated with ADHD are bound to affect sexual behaviors, and favor risky sexual behaviors, thereby increasing the frequency of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This review provides an up-to-date synthesis of the literature concerning STDs in patients with ADHD. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the PubMed, PsychInfo, and Embase databases, with STDs as the main outcome measure. Patients with ADHD report more STDs than the general population. Results are limited by the small number of existing studies, as well as the heterogeneity of the outcome measures. Findings from this first systematic review of data on STDs in individuals with ADHD suggest that ADHD affects sexual health and sexual behaviors. Clinicians treating patients with ADHD should explore risky sexual behaviors in their patients and raise awareness about the risk of contracting STDs. Further studies are warranted to better evaluate the risk of contracting an STD in patients with ADHD.

Smaller subcortical volume relates to greater weight gain in girls with initially healthy weight

OBJECTIVE

Among 3614 youth who were 9 to 12 years old and initially did not have overweight or obesity (12% [n = 385] developed overweight or obesity), we examined the natural progression of weight gain and brain structure development during a 2-year period with a high risk for obesity (e.g., pre- and early adolescence) to determine the following: 1) whether variation in maturational trajectories of the brain regions contributes to weight gain; and/or 2) whether weight gain contributes to altered brain development.

METHODS

Data were gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Linear mixed-effects regression models controlled for puberty, caregiver education, handedness, and intracranial volume (random effects: magnetic resonance scanner [MRI] scanner and participant). Because pubertal development occurs earlier in girls, analyses were stratified by sex.

RESULTS

For girls, but not boys, independent of puberty, greater increases in BMI were driven by smaller volumes over time in the bilateral accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus, right caudate and ventral diencephalon, and left pallidum (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a potential phenotype for identifying obesity risk because underlying differences among regions involved in food intake were related to greater weight gain in girls, but not in boys. Importantly, 2 years of weight gain may not be sufficient to alter brain development, highlighting early puberty as a critical time to prevent negative neurological outcomes.

The lived experience of mental disorders in adolescents: a bottom-up review co-designed, co-conducted and co-written by experts by experience and academics

We provide here the first bottom-up review of the lived experience of mental disorders in adolescents co-designed, co-conducted and co-written by experts by experience and academics. We screened first-person accounts within and outside the medical field, and discussed them in collaborative workshops involving numerous experts by experience - representing different genders, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and continents - and their family members and carers. Subsequently, the material was enriched by phenomenologically informed perspectives and shared with all collaborators. The inner subjective experience of adolescents is described for mood disorders, psychotic disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, externalizing disorders, and self-harm behaviors. The recollection of individuals' past histories also indexes the prodromal (often transdiagnostic) features predating the psychiatric diagnosis. The experience of adolescents with mental disorders in the wider society is described with respect to their family, their school and peers, and the social and cultural context. Furthermore, their lived experience of mental health care is described with respect to receiving a diagnosis of mental disorder, accessing mental health support, receiving psychopharmacological treatment, receiving psychotherapy, experiencing peer support and mental health activism, and achieving recovery. These findings can impact clinical practice, research, and the whole society. We hope that this co-designed, co-conducted and co-written journey can help us maintain our commitment to protecting adolescents' fragile mental health, and can help them develop into a healthy, fulfilling and contributing adult life.

The relationship between adolescent impulsivity, mental health, and internet addiction: a latent profile analysis

This study aimed to identify group variations in adolescent impulsivity and explore the connections between latent categories of impulsivity and psychological symptoms, social anxiety, and internet addiction. The research involved 2,378 participants from three middle schools in Guangdong Province, China. We assessed the impact of impulsivity levels (measured by BBIS) on depression (measured by KADS-11), anxiety (measured by SCARED), social anxiety (measured by SASC), and internet addiction (measured by YDQ). Latent profile analysis was employed to examine the diversity in adolescent impulsivity, establish latent classifications, and investigate the variances in psychological symptoms, social anxiety, and internet addiction. The middle school students were categorized into five latent groups based on their BBIS scores. Statistical analysis revealed five impulsivity categories, strongly linked to psychological symptoms and social anxiety but less strongly associated with internet addiction. The high impulsivity group (C5) exhibited higher scores in psychological symptoms and social anxiety compared to other groups, whereas the poor self-regulation group (C3) displayed greater psychological symptoms, social anxiety scores, and internet addiction than the impulsive behavior group (C4). Future investigations should investigate the underlying factors contributing to the observed differences among these groups.

A Structural Equation Model to Explain Gambling Problem Severity in Adolescents with an Integrated Perspective

To be effective in the prevention of adolescent problem gambling, it is fundamental to enhance knowledge about the antecedents of gambling problem severity and the mechanisms through which these dimensions are related to problematic gambling behavior. This study aimed at testing how selected cognitive (correct knowledge of gambling and gambling-related cognitive distortions) and affective (positive economic perception of gambling and expectation and enjoyment and arousal towards gambling) variables are related to gambling frequency and gambling problem severity. Problem gambling was conceptualized as Gambling Disorder symptoms according to the last edition of the DSM. Participants were 447 Italian high school students (68% males, mean age = 16.8, SD = 0.84). Structural Equation Models (SEMs) conducted with adolescent gamblers attested two indirect effects from knowledge to problem gambling: One through gambling-related cognitive distortions and one through gambling frequency. Overall, results confirmed that adolescent problem gambling is a complex phenomenon explained by multiple and different factors. Practical implications for preventive efforts are discussed.

Dual-systems models of the genetic architecture of impulsive personality traits: neurogenetic evidence of distinct but related factors

BACKGROUND

Dual-systems models, positing an interaction between two distinct and competing systems (i.e. top-down self-control, and bottom-up reward- or emotion-based drive), provide a parsimonious framework for investigating the interplay between cortical and subcortical brain regions relevant to impulsive personality traits (IPTs) and their associations with psychopathology. Despite recent developments in multivariate analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), molecular genetic investigations of these models have not been conducted.

METHODS

Using IPT GWAS, we conducted confirmatory genomic structural equation models (GenomicSEM) to empirically evaluate dual-systems models of the genetic architecture of IPTs. Genetic correlations between dual-systems factors and relevant cortical and subcortical neuroimaging phenotypes (regional/structural volume, cortical surface area, cortical thickness) were estimated and compared.

RESULTS

GenomicSEM dual-systems models underscored important sources of shared and unique genetic variance between top-down and bottom-up constructs. Specifically, a dual-systems genomic model consisting of sensation seeking and lack of self-control factors demonstrated distinct but related sources of genetic influences (rg = 0.60). Genetic correlation analyses provided evidence of differential associations between dual-systems factors and cortical neuroimaging phenotypes (e.g. lack of self-control negatively associated with cortical thickness, sensation seeking positively associated with cortical surface area). No significant associations were observed with subcortical phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual-systems models of the genetic architecture of IPTs tested were consistent with study hypotheses, but associations with relevant neuroimaging phenotypes were mixed (e.g. no associations with subcortical volumes). Findings demonstrate the utility of dual-systems models for studying IPT genetic influences, but also highlight potential limitations as a framework for interpreting IPTs as endophenotypes for psychopathology.

Adolescent neurocognitive development and decision-making abilities regarding gender-affirming care

Recently, politicians and legislative bodies have cited neurodevelopmental literature to argue that brain immaturity undermines decision-making regarding gender-affirming care (GAC) in youth. Here, we review this literature as it applies to adolescents' ability to make decisions regarding GAC. The research shows that while adolescence is a time of peak risk-taking behavior that may lead to impulsive decisions, neurocognitive systems supporting adult-level decisions are available given deliberative processes that minimize influence of short-term rewards and peers. Since GAC decisions occur over an extended period and with support from adult caregivers and clinicians, adolescents can engage adult-level decision-making in this context. We also weigh the benefits of providing GAC access during adolescence and consider the significant costs of blocking or delaying GAC. Transgender and non-binary (TNB) adolescents face significant mental health challenges, many of which are mitigated by GAC access. Further, initiating the GAC process during adolescence, which we define as beginning at pubertal onset, leads to better long-term mental health outcomes than waiting until adulthood. Taken together, existing research indicates that many adolescents can make informed decisions regarding gender-affirming care, and that this care is critical for the well-being of TNB youth. We highlight relevant considerations for policy makers, researchers, and clinicians.

Expanding understanding of adolescent neural sensitivity to peers: Using social information processing theory to generate new lines of research

Adolescence is a period of normative heightened sensitivity to peer influence. Individual differences in susceptibility to peers is related to individual differences in neural sensitivity, particularly in brain regions that support an increasingly greater orientation toward peers. Despite these empirically-established patterns, the more specific psychosocial and socio-cognitive factors associated with individual differences in neural sensitivity to peer influence are just beginning to gain research attention. Specific features of the factors that contribute to how adolescents process social information can inform understanding of the psychological and neurobiological processes involved in what renders adolescents to be more or less susceptible to peer influences. In this paper, we (1) review the literature about peer, family, and broader contextual influences on sensitivity to peers' positive and negative behaviors, (2) outline components of social information processing theories, and (3) discuss features of these models from the perspectives and social cognitive development and social neuroscience. We identify gaps in the current literature that need to be addressed in order to gain a more comprehensive view of adolescent neural sensitivity to peer influence. We conclude by suggesting how future neuroimaging studies can adopt components of this social information processing model to generate new lines of research.

Associations between behavioral and self-reported impulsivity, brain structure, and genetic influences in middle childhood

Impulsivity undergoes a normative developmental trajectory from childhood to adulthood and is thought to be driven by maturation of brain structure. However, few large-scale studies have assessed associations between impulsivity, brain structure, and genetic susceptibility in children. In 9112 children ages 9-10 from the ABCD study, we explored relationships among impulsivity (UPPS-P impulsive behavior scale; delay discounting), brain structure (cortical thickness (CT), cortical volume (CV), and cortical area (CA)), and polygenic scores for externalizing behavior (PGSEXT). Both higher UPPS-P total scores and more severe delay-discounting had widespread, low-magnitude associations with smaller CA in frontal and temporal regions. No associations were seen between impulsivity and CV or CT. Additionally, higher PGSEXT was associated with both higher UPPS-P scores and with smaller CA and CV in frontal and temporal regions, but in non-overlapping cortical regions, underscoring the complex interplay between genetics and brain structure in influencing impulsivity. These findings indicate that, within large-scale population data, CA is significantly yet weakly associated with each of these impulsivity measures and with polygenic risk for externalizing behaviors, but in distinct brain regions. Future work should longitudinally assess these associations through adolescence, and examine associated functional outcomes, such as future substance use and psychopathology.

Ten-year results of leisure noise exposure among adolescents and young adults-findings from the OHRKAN cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To observe total leisure noise (TLN) exposure and to investigate determinants of risky TLN exposure among adolescents and young adults over a ten-year observation period.

DESIGN

OHRKAN is a longitudinal study with five equidistantly distributed questionnaires (waves) over ten years. Risky TLN exposure was defined as exceeding ≥85dB(A) averaged over 40h per week. To identify determinants of risky TLN exposure longitudinally, generalised estimating equations were applied.

STUDY SAMPLE

A subgroup (n = 661; mean age 25.6 years in the fifth wave; 58.4% female) of the closed cohort study OHRKAN was analysed. Included participants took part in the fifth wave prior to the study break due to COVID-19.

RESULTS

Analysis of participants' data from all five waves showed that risky TLN exposure was highest during the second wave (72.0%), when participants were aged 17-19 years, and thereafter steadily declined. Among young adults, attendance at discotheques and private parties, especially, caused very high exposure. Determinants of risky TLN exposure were wave time point, male gender, a higher level of education, and smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

As TLN exposure is highest among older adolescents, prevention programs should target younger teenagers and be tailored to the identified risk groups. The risk from private parties should be addressed.

Young adults' reasoning for involving a parent in a genomic decision-making research study

Young adults have increasing genomic testing opportunities; however, little is known about how equipped they feel about making decisions to learn personal genomic information. We conducted qualitative interviews with 19 young adults, ages 18-21 years old, enrolled in a research study where they made decisions about learning personal genomic risk for developing preventable, treatable, and adult-onset conditions and carrier status for autosomal recessive conditions. Participants had the option to include a parent in their study visit and the decision-making process. The goal of this project was to explore young adults' reasons for involving or not involving a parent in the study and to assess young adults' perspectives about parental roles in their healthcare. Nine participants included a parent in the study and ten did not include a parent. Eleven participants received genomic test results before the interview, while eight participants had not yet received their results at the time of the interview. The study team developed a coding guide and coded interview transcripts inductively and deductively using an interpretive descriptive-analytic approach. Logistical issues dominated solo participants' reasons for not involving a parent in the study, whereas those who involved a parent often cited a close relationship with the parent and the parent's previous involvement in the participant's healthcare as reasons for involving them. Both groups of participants described gradually transitioning to independent healthcare decision-making with age and felt their comfort in medical decision-making depends on the severity of and their familiarity with the situation. Participants recommended that future genomic researchers or clinicians give young adults the option to involve a parent or friend as a support person in research or clinical visits. Although young adults may have different journeys toward independent healthcare decision-making, some may benefit from continued parental or peer involvement after reaching the age of legal adulthood.

Puberty Suppression for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria and the Child's Right to an Open Future

In this essay, we consider the clinical and ethical implications of puberty blockers for pediatric gender dysphoria through the lens of "the child's right to an open future," which refers to rights that children do not have the capacity to exercise as minors, but that must be protected, so they can exercise them in the future as autonomous adults. We contrast the open future principle with the beliefs underpinning the gender affirming care model and discuss implications for consent. We evaluate claims that puberty blockers are reversible, discuss the scientific uncertainty about long-term benefits and harms, summarize international developments, and examine how suicide has been used to frame puberty suppression as a medically necessary, lifesaving treatment. In discussing these issues, we include relevant empirical evidence and raise questions for clinicians and researchers. We conclude that treatment pathways that delay decisions about medical transition until the child has had the chance to grow and mature into an autonomous adulthood would be most consistent with the open future principle.

The structure and development of explore-exploit decision making

A critical component of human learning reflects the balance people must achieve between focusing on the utility of what they know versus openness to what they have yet to experience. How individuals decide whether to explore new options versus exploit known options has garnered growing interest in recent years. Yet, the component processes underlying decisions to explore and whether these processes change across development remain poorly understood. By contrasting a variety of tasks that measure exploration in slightly different ways, we found that decisions about whether to explore reflect (a) random exploration that is not explicitly goal-directed and (b) directed exploration to purposefully reduce uncertainty. While these components similarly characterized the decision-making of both youth and adults, younger participants made decisions that were less strategic, but more exploratory and flexible, than those of adults. These findings are discussed in terms of how people adapt to and learn from changing environments over time.Data has been made available in the Open Science Foundation platform (osf.io).

The spillover effect of school suspensions on adolescents' classroom climate perceptions and academic achievement

Proponents of exclusionary discipline claim that removing disruptive peers from the classroom benefits well-behaved students. Given educators' increasingly widespread use of suspensions in response to adolescents' minor behavioral infractions (e.g., dress code violations, backtalk), it is critical that we examine whether this theory translates into practice. Using two independent samples (Study 1: N = 1305 adolescents enrolled in 64 math classrooms; Mage = 13.00 years, range = 10-16; 53% White, 41% Black, 6% Other race; 50% girls; 64% economically disadvantaged. Study 2: N = 563 adolescents enrolled in 40 science classrooms; Mage = 12.83 years, range = 10-16; 55% White, 40% Black, 5% Other race; 51% girls; 62% economically disadvantaged), we adopted a two-study approach to examine the mediational role of classroom climate perceptions in the link between classroom-level suspension rates for minor infractions and adolescents' math and science achievement. Results indicated that high classroom-level rates of suspensions for minor infractions were associated with poor academic outcomes among suspended students as well as their non-suspended classmates. Students' classroom climate perceptions mediated the links between classroom suspension rates and non-suspended students' academic outcomes. Shifting away from strict and punitive disciplinary schedules may grant school-based adults the ability to create classroom climates more attuned to adolescents' developmental and learning needs.

Development of the triadic neural systems involved in risky decision-making during childhood

Risk-taking often occurs in childhood as a compex outcome influenced by individual, family, and social factors. The ability to govern risky decision-making in a balanced manner is a hallmark of the integrity of cognitive and affective development from childhood to adulthood. The Triadic Neural Systems Model posits that the nuanced coordination of motivational approach, avoidance and prefrontal control systems is crucial to regulate adaptive risk-taking and related behaviors. Although widely studied in adolescence and adulthood, how these systems develop in childhood remains elusive. Here, we show heterogenous age-related differences in the triadic neural systems involved in risky decision-making in 218 school-age children relative to 80 young adults. Children were generally less reward-seeking and less risk-taking than adults, and exhibited gradual increases in risk-taking behaviors from 6 to 12 years-old, which are associated with age-related differences in brain activation patterns underlying reward and risk processing. In comparison to adults, children exhibited weaker activation in control-related prefrontal systems, but stronger activation in reward-related striatal systems. Network analyses revealed that children showed greater reward-related functional connectivity within and between the triadic systems. Our findings support an immature and unbalanced developmental view of the core neurocognitive systems involved in risky decision-making and related behaviors in middle to late childhood.

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Develop a Combined Model of U.S. College Student Alcohol-Associated Condomless Sex

Unhealthy alcohol use and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are significant public health concerns for US college students. Because alcohol use and condomless sex often co-occur in this population, alcohol-associated condomless sex has been identified as a behavioral intervention target. Existing theoretical frameworks have not garnered sufficient empirical support to serve as the foundation for interventions. The primary goal of the current study was to use a mixed-methods approach to develop a model of college student alcohol-associated condomless sex that combines elements from well-established health behavior theories. In Aim 1, multilevel modeling was used to predict condomless vaginal sex in a sample of heterosexual college student drinkers (N = 53). Aim 2 consisted of in-depth interviews (n = 18) to gather perceptions about the role of alcohol in sexual activity and identify supplemental constructs omitted from theories in Aim 1. The multilevel model explained a significant proportion of variance in condomless vaginal sex at the between- and within-person level. Themes derived from the in-depth interviews identified complementary elements of condom use decision-making. Findings from both aims were synthesized to construct a combined model of alcohol-associated condomless sex. This model can be further refined and ultimately serve as the foundation of an alcohol-STI prevention-intervention.

Mapping structural covariance networks of emotional withdrawal symptoms in males with methamphetamine use disorder during abstinence

Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) often experience anxiety and depressive symptoms during abstinence, which can worsen the likelihood of relapse. Thus, it is essential to understand the neuro-mechanism behind methamphetamine use and its associated emotional withdrawal symptoms in order to develop effective clinical strategies. This study aimed to evaluate associations between emotional withdrawal symptoms and structural covariance networks (SCNs) based on cortical thickness (CTh) across the brain. The CTh measures were obtained from Tl-weighted MRI data from a sample of 48 males with MUD during abstinence and 48 male healthy controls. The severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms was assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and depression (HAMD) scales. Two important nodes belonging to the brain reward system, the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (medPFC), were selected as seeds to conduct SCNs and modulation analysis by emotional symptoms. MUDs showed higher structural covariance between the right rACC and regions in the dorsal attention, right frontoparietal, auditory, visual and limbic networks. They also displayed higher structural covariance between the right medPFC and regions in the limbic network. Moreover, the modulation analysis showed that higher scores on HAMA were associated with increased covariance between the right rACC and the left parahippocampal and isthmus cingulate cortex in the default mode network. These outcomes shed light on the complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying methamphetamine use and its associated emotional withdrawal symptoms and may provide new insights into the development of effective treatments for MUD.

Sensitivity to reward and punishment in adolescents with repetitive non-suicidal self-injury: The role of inhibitory control

Background

Repetitive Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (R-NSSI) is complex and prevalent in adolescents. Although the reward system is a promising mechanism to explain R-NSSI, the specific processes of reward and punishment related to R-NSSI remain unclear. This study examined whether adolescents with R-NSSI displayed difficulties in both reward and punishment contexts, and further explored the role of inhibitory control in processing monetary reward and punishment.

Methods

Within a cohort from two middle schools (N = 3,475, 48.6 % female, Mage = 12.95), a total of 187 adolescents completed three novel behavioral tasks. Specifically, in Study 1, 36 adolescents with R-NSSI and 28 without NSSI completed adapted incentive-delay tasks to evaluate sensitivity to reward and punishment. In Study 2, 27 adolescents with R-NSSI and 21 without NSSI were given novel incentive delay-two choice oddball task to evaluate the interaction between reward and inhibitory control. In Study 3, 38 adolescents with R-NSSI and 35 without NSSI completed similar task to assess the interaction between punishment and inhibitory control.

Results

Adolescents with R-NSSI were characterized by higher levels of behavioral reward and punishment sensitivity than adolescents without NSSI. More importantly, the difference between reward and punishment in inhibitory control of R-NSSI was found. Compared to adolescents without NSSI, adolescents with R-NSSI showed lower levels of inhibitory control in response to cues depicting punishment content but not to those depicting reward content.

Conclusions

This study provides novel experimental evidence that heightened behavioral sensitivity to both reward and punishment may be relevant trait marker in R-NSSI among adolescents, and emphasizes that punishment not reward interact with inhibitory control in the R-NSSI.

Sex and pubertal variation in reward-related behavior and neural activation in early adolescents

This study aimed to characterize the role of sex and pubertal markers in reward motivation behavior and neural processing in early adolescence. We used baseline and two-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM study (15844 observations; 52% from boys; age 9-13). Pubertal development was measured with parent-reported Pubertal Development Scale, and DHEA, testosterone, and estradiol levels. Reward motivation behavior and neural processing at anticipation and feedback stages were assessed with the Monetary Incentive Delay task. Boys had higher reward motivation than girls, demonstrating greater accuracy difference between reward and neutral trials and higher task earnings. Girls had lower neural activation during reward feedback than boys in the nucleus accumbens, caudate, rostral anterior cingulate, medial orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate. Pubertal stage and testosterone levels were positively associated with reward motivation behavior, although these associations changed when controlling for age. There were no significant associations between pubertal development and neural activation during reward anticipation and feedback. Sex differences in reward-related processing exist in early adolescence, signaling the need to understand their impact on typical and atypical functioning as it unfolds into adulthood.

In-vivo whole-cortex marker of excitation-inhibition ratio indexes cortical maturation and cognitive ability in youth

A balanced excitation-inhibition ratio (E/I ratio) is critical for healthy brain function. Normative development of cortex-wide E/I ratio remains unknown. Here we non-invasively estimate a putative marker of whole-cortex E/I ratio by fitting a large-scale biophysically-plausible circuit model to resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We first confirm that our model generates realistic brain dynamics in the Human Connectome Project. Next, we show that the estimated E/I ratio marker is sensitive to the GABA-agonist benzodiazepine alprazolam during fMRI. Alprazolam-induced E/I changes are spatially consistent with positron emission tomography measurement of benzodiazepine receptor density. We then investigate the relationship between the E/I ratio marker and neurodevelopment. We find that the E/I ratio marker declines heterogeneously across the cerebral cortex during youth, with the greatest reduction occurring in sensorimotor systems relative to association systems. Importantly, among children with the same chronological age, a lower E/I ratio marker (especially in association cortex) is linked to better cognitive performance. This result is replicated across North American (8.2 to 23.0 years old) and Asian (7.2 to 7.9 years old) cohorts, suggesting that a more mature E/I ratio indexes improved cognition during normative development. Overall, our findings open the door to studying how disrupted E/I trajectories may lead to cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology that emerges during youth.