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December 31, 2019
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Brain measurements at age 7 can predict future ADHD, MDD risk

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Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli

Resting-state functional MRI metrics measured at age 7 years can be used to predict the developmental trajectory of ADHD and major depressive disorder symptoms at age 11 years, making these measurements “promising biomarkers” for the early identification of children at risk for developing these disorders, according to findings of a longitudinal cohort study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Psychiatric diagnoses are often done late in response to crisis and treated in a reactive rather than preventive manner," Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, PhD, director of the Northeastern University Biomedical Imaging Center in Boston, told Healio Psychiatry. "Our mission was to help identify early brain markers that would predict who may be at risk for developing anxiety/depression or attentional disorders.” 

The researchers tested whether resting state functional MRI-measured coupling strength of activation between specific brain regions predicted the neurodevelopmental trajectory of psychiatric symptoms for ADHD and MDD by analyzing data from a community cohort of 94 children who were previously enrolled in a developmental longitudinal study. The cohort was followed longitudinally for 4 years. Whitfield-Gabrieli and colleagues examined whether specific brain connectivity patterns were associated with longitudinal changes in scores on the Child Behavior Checklist — a parental assessment that screens for social, behavioral and emotional problems and attempts to predict psychiatric illnesses.

They reported that among the 94 children assessed at age 7 years and 54 children assessed at age 11 years, less positive coupling at age 7 years between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the medial prefrontal cortex was associated with decreased attentional symptoms by age 11 years. A less positive coupling between the subgenual anterior cortex (sgACC) — a brain region implicated in mood — and the DLPFC at age 7 years was associated with an increase in internalizing behaviors, such as anxiety and depression, by age 11 years. Using logistic regression analyses, the researchers found that sgACC-DLPFC connectivity more accurately predicted progression to a subclinical score on internalization than did baseline Child Behavior Checklist measures. They replicated and extended this result in an independent sample of 25 children with and 18 children without familial risk for MDD.

Identification of these biomarkers at such a young age could promote early interventions (eg, exercise, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy) which could mitigate symptoms and possibly prevent the progression to psychiatric illness," Whitfield-Gabrieli said. – by Joe Gramigna

Disclosures: Whitfield-Gabrieli reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.