Variability in Cognitive Task Performance in Early Adolescence Is Associated With Stronger Between-Network
Sarah E Chang1, Agatha Lenartowicz1, Gerhard S Hellemann1,2
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
|October 26, 2023
Summary
Intraindividual variability (IIV) in attention tasks is linked to brain network function in youth. Lower IIV and stronger brain network anticorrelation predict fewer attention problems over time.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive tasks reflects attention and is a marker for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
- In adults, lower IIV correlates with anticorrelation between the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAN), crucial for attention allocation.
- Prior research has not examined the association between these attention markers and their predictive power for future attention deficits in a developmental cohort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between IIV, DMN-DAN anticorrelation, and attention problems in early adolescence.
- To determine if behavioral and neural attention markers at baseline predict future attention problems.
- To examine developmental trends in attention markers and their association with attention problems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N=11,878, ages 9-10).
- Assessed IIV on three cognitive tasks, DMN-DAN anticorrelation, and parent-reported attention problems at baseline.
- Analyzed cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships (1-3 years) between attention markers and attention problems.
Main Results:
- Greater DMN-DAN anticorrelation was associated with lower IIV across tasks (B=0.22-0.25).
- Older age correlated with stronger DMN-DAN anticorrelation and lower IIV (B=-0.005 to -0.0004).
- Weaker DMN-DAN anticorrelation and higher IIV were linked to attention problems (B=1.41-7.63); lower IIV predicted fewer future attention problems (B=0.288-0.77).
Conclusions:
- IIV in early adolescence is associated with attention problems in a US youth cohort.
- Attention deficits in early adolescence are significant for predicting future cognitive and clinical outcomes.
- These findings highlight the importance of IIV and DMN-DAN connectivity in understanding attention development.
Keywords:
ABCD StudyAdolescenceAttentionNeurocognitive performanceResting-state functional connectivityMore Related Videos
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