Functional network disruptions in youth with concussion using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Concussion and anxiety in youth can present with overlapping psychosocial challenges.
• Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these conditions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study provides a valuable dataset for examining these differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare psychosocial outcomes and functional neuroimaging between youth with concussion, youth with anxiety, and healthy controls.
• To investigate differences in frontoparietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN) connectivity with the amygdala.
• To explore the relationship between brain connectivity and psychosocial problems in these groups.

Main Methods:

• Archival data from the ABCD Study were analyzed.
• Psychosocial outcomes were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
• Resting-state fMRI was used to measure FPN and DMN connectivity with the amygdala.

Main Results:

• Significant psychosocial differences were observed across all groups.
• The anxiety group reported the highest internalizing problems, followed by the concussion group.
• Reduced FPN-amygdala connectivity was found exclusively in the concussion group, but did not correlate with psychosocial outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Brain connectivity, specifically FPN-amygdala pathways, is uniquely reduced in youth with concussion.
• These findings suggest distinct neurobiological alterations in concussion compared to anxiety.
• Further research with comprehensive measures is needed to understand the link between brain function and concussion symptoms.