Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions (cVEDA): A developmental cohort study protocol

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Genetics

Background:

• India's large youth population faces unique environmental influences compared to high-income nations.
• The Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions (cVEDA) was established in India to investigate these factors.
• The study focuses on understanding vulnerability to psychopathology, particularly externalizing disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine environmental influences on genomic variations and neurodevelopmental trajectories.
• To identify vulnerabilities to psychopathology in a diverse youth population.
• To establish a comprehensive neurodevelopmental database for India.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study with 10,000 participants aged 6-23 years across five distinct Indian regions.
• Assessment of socio-demographics, early life adversity, parenting, and psychiatric morbidity.
• Collection of biological samples for genetic/epigenetic/toxicological analyses and neuroimaging (MRI) on a subset of participants.

Main Results:

• Established the largest neurodevelopmental database in India, comparable to global standards.
• Detailed environmental characterization alongside genetic and neuroimaging data.
• Initial insights into brain growth and maturation patterns derived from neuroimaging and neuropsychological data.

Conclusions:

• The cVEDA database enables the identification of environmental and genetic vulnerabilities to psychopathology.
• The study provides a developmental framework for understanding mental health in Indian youth.
• Findings contribute to understanding brain development in diverse environmental contexts.