Associations between peripheral inflammation and resting state functional connectivity in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Immunology

Background:

• Peripheral inflammation is linked to altered brain function in adults.
• Adolescent brain development may be uniquely affected by inflammation, with limited existing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between peripheral inflammatory markers and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in adolescents.
• To explore potential differences in these associations compared to adult studies.

Main Methods:

• Assessed serum inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein) in 70 adolescents (ages 12-15).
• Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure rsFC.
• Analyzed associations between inflammatory markers and rsFC using whole-brain corrected statistical thresholds.

Main Results:

• Elevated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was significantly associated with altered rsFC between the right amygdala and left striatum.
• Higher TNF-α also correlated with altered rsFC between the right inferior frontal gyrus and left parietal cortex.
• No significant associations were found for interleukin-6 (IL-6) or C-reactive protein (CRP).

Conclusions:

• Peripheral inflammation, specifically TNF-α, is associated with altered neural connectivity in adolescents.
• These findings suggest inflammation may uniquely influence the developing adolescent brain, differing from adult patterns.
• Understanding these links is crucial for comprehending how inflammation impacts brain development during adolescence.