The Developmental Chronnecto-Genomics (Dev-CoG) study: A multimodal study on the developing brain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Traditional brain development studies often use unimodal neuroimaging, limiting understanding of structure-function relationships.
• Integrating structural and functional brain data is crucial for accurate models of typical and atypical development.
• Incorporating genetic and epigenetic factors is essential but currently under-specified in developmental models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel multi-site, multimodal dataset (Developmental Chronnecto-Genomics, Dev-CoG) for studying child brain development.
• To capture comprehensive data including cognitive, emotional, social, structural, functional, and genetic measures.
• To facilitate research into the factors influencing brain development from childhood through adolescence.

Main Methods:

• Collected data from over 200 children (aged 9-14 years) across two sites, with annual re-testing for at least 3 years.
• Utilized structural MRI, functional MRI, diffusion MRI, magnetoencephalography (MEG), cognitive/emotional/social scales, and saliva for genetic analysis (SNPs, DNA methylation).
• Ensured data quality and documented protocols, with plans for public data release via the COINS database.

Main Results:

• The Dev-CoG study successfully collected a rich, longitudinal, multimodal dataset on child brain development.
• Detailed protocols, demographics, and quality control measures for the dataset are presented.
• The dataset encompasses a wide range of measures crucial for understanding brain development.

Conclusions:

• The Dev-CoG dataset provides a valuable resource for investigating the interplay of structure, function, and genetics in brain development.
• Availability of this data will foster advanced research into typical and atypical developmental trajectories.
• Future research can leverage this resource to build more comprehensive models of human brain development across the lifespan.