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Functional Activation During a Cognitive Control Task in Healthy Youth Specific to Externalizing or Internalizing
Katherine H Karlsgodt1, Angelica A Bato2, Toshikazu Ikuta3
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Summary
Externalizing behaviors link to parietal lobe hyperactivity, while internalizing behaviors link to medial prefrontal cortex overactivity in youth. These distinct neural patterns during cognitive control have implications for understanding behavioral issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Externalizing behaviors (aggression, rule-breaking) and internalizing behaviors (anxiety, depression) can lead to lifelong difficulties.
- Executive function is linked to both behavior types, but neuroimaging in typically developing youth is limited.
- Behavioral issues in youth can manifest as internalizing or externalizing patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in typically developing youth.
- To examine how cognitive control networks are engaged differently in relation to these behavioral dimensions.
- To explore the relationship between executive function and distinct behavioral profiles.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity in 41 adolescents (ages 10-19).
- The Multi-Source Interference Task measured cognitive control, comparing interference and control conditions.
- Self-reported externalizing and internalizing scores (Youth Self-Report) were correlated with brain activation patterns using general linear models.
Main Results:
- Cognitive control tasks engaged the frontoparietal network and decreased default mode network activity.
- Higher externalizing behaviors correlated with hyperactivity in the parietal lobe.
- Higher internalizing behaviors correlated with increased activation in the medial prefrontal cortex.
Conclusions:
- Externalizing and internalizing behaviors are associated with distinct neural activation patterns during cognitive control.
- These findings highlight differing brain mechanisms underlying externalizing versus internalizing behaviors in youth.
- Understanding these neural differences is crucial for addressing behavioral problems in adolescents.
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