Cingulate-Prefrontal Connectivity During Dynamic Cognitive Control Mediates Association Between p Factor and Adaptive...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• The p factor, a measure of overall psychopathology burden, shows genetic and neuroimaging support but its neurocognitive correlates are unclear.
• Understanding these correlates is crucial for identifying transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology with predictive utility.
• This study investigates the role of cognitive control and functional brain connectivity in linking psychopathology burden to functional outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the mediating role of dynamic cognitive control adjustments in the association between the p factor and adaptive functioning.
• To investigate functional connections anchored by the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) as potential mediators.
• To explore neurocognitive mechanisms underlying psychopathology in a pediatric sample.

Main Methods:

• A multiple mediation model was used to analyze data from 89 children (ages 8-13) with neurodevelopmental diagnoses.
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed during a socioaffective Stroop-like task.
• Mediators included dACC-based functional connectivity within frontoparietal and salience networks during conflict adaptation.

Main Results:

• Elevated p factor scores correlated with diminished adaptive functioning.
• This association was partially mediated by conflict adaptation-related functional connectivity between the dACC and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
• The p factor was associated with all adaptive functioning domains, most strongly with socialization.

Conclusions:

• Higher psychopathology burden is associated with worse adaptive functioning in early adolescence.
• Weaker dACC-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity, underlying cognitive control modulation, mediates this relationship.
• These findings identify transdiagnostic and developmentally relevant neurocognitive endophenotypes of psychopathology.