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Neighborhood disadvantage, not family, affects adolescent brain development

Neighborhood disadvantage was associated with altered brain development from early to late adolescence; however, positive parenting moderate negative effects on development.

“The effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on lifelong functioning are pronounced, with negative effects thought to begin in childhood or adolescence,” Sarah Whittle, PhD, of the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, and colleagues wrote. “A number of studies have sought to identify neurobiological factors that may mediate these effects and have documented associations between socioeconomic disadvantage (particularly poverty) and brain structure, with widespread alterations identified in the subcortex and frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices.”

To assess associations between parenting behaviors, socioeconomic disadvantage and brain development and adaptive functioning in adolescents, researchers conducted a longitudinal study among 166 adolescents from schools in Melbourne. Data were collected three times between 2004 and 2012. Structural MRI was conducted in early, middle and late adolescence from age 11 to 20 years.

Neighborhood, but not family, socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with altered brain development from early (mean age 12.79 years) to late (mean age 19.08 years) adolescence, primarily in the left amygdala (P < .001) and right amygdala (P = .008) in the temporal cortex.

Positive parenting moderated effects of neighborhood disadvantage on development of the dorsal frontal and lateral orbitofrontal cortices.

Effects of family disadvantage, including occupation (P = .004) and income-to-needs (P = .004), on development of the amygdala were also moderated by positive parenting, with some findings specific to males.

Dorsal frontal cortical development in males from disadvantaged neighborhoods with low maternal positivity predicted increased rates of incomplete schooling.

“Importantly, in this study, socioeconomic disadvantage was not associated with our measures of positive parenting. As such, we have identified a type of parenting behavior that is not intrinsically tied to disadvantage and thus represents a modifiable target for intervention to scaffold optimal brain development within the context of socioeconomic disadvantage,” the researchers concluded. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.