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Published on: April 11, 2025
Right frontal pole cortical thickness and executive functioning in children with traumatic brain injury: the impact
Ashley Levan1, Garrett Black1, Jonathan Mietchen1
1Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, 1060 SWKT, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
Insights
Children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may experience social difficulties. This study found right frontal pole cortical thickness predicted social problems, but executive function did not mediate this link.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Psychology
Background:
- Children with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often face challenges in cognitive and social development.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of these social difficulties is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between right frontal pole cortical thickness and problematic social behaviors in children with TBI.
- To examine whether executive function mediates the association between right frontal pole cortical thickness and social problems.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 23 children with a history of TBI for long-term follow-up.
- Administered executive function tests (Trail Making Test, verbal fluency, CPT-II) and the Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
- Conducted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and regression analyses.
Main Results:
- Right frontal pole cortical thickness significantly predicted social problems.
- Executive functioning measures also predicted social problems.
- The mediation model was not statistically significant, indicating executive function did not mediate the relationship between cortical thickness and social problems.
Conclusions:
- Right frontal pole cortical thickness is a significant predictor of social problems in children with TBI.
- Executive function does not appear to mediate the association between right frontal pole cortical thickness and social problems in this cohort.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex relationship between brain structure, executive function, and social outcomes post-TBI.
Abstract:
Cognitive and social outcomes may be negatively affected in children with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesized that executive function would mediate the association between right frontal pole cortical thickness and problematic social behaviors. Child participants with a history of TBI were recruited from inpatient admissions for long-term follow-up (n = 23; average age = 12.8, average time post-injury =3.2 years). Three measures of executive function, the Trail Making Test, verbal fluency test, and the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-Second edition (CPT-II), were administered to each participant while caregivers completed the Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL). All participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging following cognitive testing. Regression analysis demonstrated right frontal pole cortical thickness significantly predicted social problems. Measures of executive functioning also significantly predicted social problems; however, the mediation model testing whether executive function mediated the relationship between cortical thickness and social problems was not statistically significant. Right frontal pole cortical thickness and omission errors on the CPT-II predicted Social Problems on the CBCL. Results did not indicate that the association between cortical thickness and social problems was mediated by executive function.
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