Childhood Electroencephalographic Signatures Predict Distinct Developmental Trajectories to Adolescent Anxiety and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Adolescence is a critical period for the emergence of anxiety and depression.
• The neurodevelopmental origins of these conditions are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify early neurobiological markers for anxiety and depression in adolescents.
• To investigate the neurodevelopmental trajectories underlying these conditions.

Main Methods:

• A 7-year prospective longitudinal study using resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• Connectome-based predictive modeling was employed to link childhood EEG patterns to adolescent symptoms.
• External validation was performed using the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) dataset.

Main Results:

• Specific EEG patterns at age 9 predicted adolescent anxiety (alpha frequency) and depression (beta1 frequency).
• Distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories, characterized by opposing hemispheric lateralization (left for anxiety, right for depression), were identified.
• Mediation analyses revealed that lateralized amygdala-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) circuits underpin these predictive associations.

Conclusions:

• Early neurobiological indicators can predict distinct developmental trajectories for anxiety and depression.
• These findings provide a basis for early risk stratification and targeted precision prevention strategies.