Childhood psychopathology predicts development of error-related brain activity across adolescence

Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence indicates that the error-related negativity (ERN) increases across adolescence. However, there are no longitudinal studies of ERN development which traverse all of adolescence. In addition, anxiety (e.g., generalized and social anxiety) and depression have been associated with a larger and smaller ERN, respectively, but it is unknown whether childhood psychopathology is associated with adolescent development of the ERN. In the present study, 317 8 to 14-year-old girls completed a flanker task at baseline and approximately 2-year and 5-year follow-ups. Multilevel growth modeling was used to examine ERN trajectory across adolescence and test whether self-reported childhood generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and depression symptoms at baseline predicted ERN trajectory. On average, the ERN demonstrated a linear increase from late childhood to early adulthood. Additionally, participants with high baseline anxiety (generalized anxiety, social anxiety) and low depression symptoms had the steepest ERN trajectory across adolescence. The present study provides longitudinal support for an increase in the ERN spanning adolescence and demonstrates that childhood psychopathology is associated with error-related neural development into early adulthood.