A transdiagnostic data-driven study of children's behaviour and the functional connectome

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Behavioral difficulties are characteristic of neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Understanding the link between brain organization and specific behavioral profiles is crucial.
• Previous research shows differences in brain organization in neurodevelopmental conditions, but the direct relationship with behavioral profiles remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between behavioral difficulties and functional brain organization in children.
• To identify data-driven behavioral profiles and examine their relationship with functional connectome patterns.
• To explore general and specific neurodevelopmental risk factors within the functional connectome.

Main Methods:

• Utilized consensus community detection to identify behavioral profiles in a transdiagnostic sample of 957 children (aged 5-15).
• Constructed functional connectomes from resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data of 238 children.
• Employed multivariate pattern analysis to predict group membership based on connectivity data.

Main Results:

• Identified three distinct behavioral profiles: hot executive function, cool executive function, and learning difficulties.
• Functional connectome patterns, specifically at the level of Intrinsic Connectivity Networks (ICNs), nodes, and hubs, significantly predicted these behavioral profiles.
• Fronto-parietal connector hubs showed under-connectivity across all identified groups compared to controls. Specific connectivity differences were observed between hot and cool executive function groups within ICNs related to cognitive control, emotion, and social cognition.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral difficulties in children are associated with specific patterns of functional brain organization.
• The findings highlight both general (e.g., fronto-parietal under-connectivity) and specific (ICN-level differences) neurodevelopmental risk factors.
• This research provides a foundation for understanding the neural underpinnings of diverse behavioral challenges in neurodevelopmental conditions.