Acculturative Orientations Among Hispanic/Latinx Caregivers in the ABCD Study: Associations With Caregiver and Youth Mental Health and Youth Brain Function.

Background: Population-based neuroscience offers opportunities to examine important but understudied sociocultural factors such as acculturation. Acculturation refers to the extent to which an individual retains their cultural heritage and/or adopts the receiving society's culture and is particularly salient among Hispanic/Latinx immigrants. Specific acculturative orientations have been linked to vulnerability to substance use, depression, and suicide and are known to influence family dynamics between caregivers and their children. Methods: Using data from first- and second-generation Hispanic/Latinx caregivers in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 1057), we examined how caregivers' acculturative orientation affects their mental health, as well as the mental health and brain function of their children. Neuroimaging analyses focused on regions associated with self- and affiliation-based social processing (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula, and temporoparietal junction). Results: We identified 2 profiles of caregiver acculturation: bicultural (retains heritage culture while adopting U.S. culture) and detached (discards heritage culture and rejects U.S. culture). Bicultural caregivers exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing problems than detached caregivers; furthermore, youth exhibited similar internalizing effects across caregiver profiles. In addition, youth with bicultural caregivers displayed increased resting-state brain activity (i.e., fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity) in the left insula, which has been linked to psychopathology; however, differences in long-range functional connectivity were not significant. Conclusions: Caregiver acculturation is an important familial factor that has been linked to significant differences in youth mental health and insula activity. Future work should examine sociocultural and neurodevelopmental changes across adolescence to assess health outcomes and determine whether localized, corticolimbic brain effects are ultimately translated into long-range connectivity differences.

Graded functional organization in the left inferior frontal gyrus: evidence from task-free and task-based functional connectivity.

The left inferior frontal gyrus has been ascribed key roles in numerous cognitive domains, such as language and executive function. However, its functional organization is unclear. Possibilities include a singular domain-general function, or multiple functions that can be mapped onto distinct subregions. Furthermore, spatial transition in function may be either abrupt or graded. The present study explored the topographical organization of the left inferior frontal gyrus using a bimodal data-driven approach. We extracted functional connectivity gradients from (i) resting-state fMRI time-series and (ii) coactivation patterns derived meta-analytically from heterogenous sets of task data. We then sought to characterize the functional connectivity differences underpinning these gradients with seed-based resting-state functional connectivity, meta-analytic coactivation modeling and functional decoding analyses. Both analytic approaches converged on graded functional connectivity changes along 2 main organizational axes. An anterior-posterior gradient shifted from being preferentially associated with high-level control networks (anterior functional connectivity) to being more tightly coupled with perceptually driven networks (posterior). A second dorsal-ventral axis was characterized by higher connectivity with domain-general control networks on one hand (dorsal functional connectivity), and with the semantic network, on the other (ventral). These results provide novel insights into an overarching graded functional organization of the functional connectivity that explains its role in multiple cognitive domains.

Task-based attentional and default mode connectivity associated with science and math anxiety profiles among university physics students.

PURPOSE: Attentional control theory (ACT) posits that elevated anxiety increases the probability of re-allocating cognitive resources needed to complete a task to processing anxiety-related stimuli. This process impairs processing efficiency and can lead to reduced performance effectiveness. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students frequently experience anxiety about their coursework, which can interfere with learning and performance and negatively impact student retention and graduation rates. The objective of this study was to extend the ACT framework to investigate the neurobiological associations between science and math anxiety and cognitive performance among 123 physics undergraduate students. PROCEDURES: Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four profiles of science and math anxiety among STEM students, including two profiles that represented the majority of the sample (Low Science and Math Anxiety; 59.3% and High Math Anxiety; 21.9%) and two additional profiles that were not well represented (High Science and Math Anxiety; 6.5% and High Science Anxiety; 4.1%). Students underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session in which they performed two tasks involving physics cognition: the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) task and the Physics Knowledge (PK) task. FINDINGS: No significant differences were observed in FCI or PK task performance between High Math Anxiety and Low Science and Math Anxiety students. During the three phases of the FCI task, we found no significant brain connectivity differences during scenario and question presentation, yet we observed significant differences during answer selection within and between the dorsal attention network (DAN), ventral attention network (VAN), and default mode network (DMN). Further, we found significant group differences during the PK task were limited to the DAN, including DAN-VAN and within-DAN connectivity. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the different cognitive processes required for physics conceptual reasoning compared to physics knowledge retrieval, provide new insight into the underlying brain dynamics associated with anxiety and physics cognition, and confirm the relevance of ACT theory for science and math anxiety.

Methods for decoding cortical gradients of functional connectivity.

Macroscale gradients have emerged as a central principle for understanding functional brain organization. Previous studies have demonstrated that a principal gradient of connectivity in the human brain exists, with unimodal primary sensorimotor regions situated at one end and transmodal regions associated with the default mode network and representative of abstract functioning at the other. The functional significance and interpretation of macroscale gradients remains a central topic of discussion in the neuroimaging community, with some studies demonstrating that gradients may be described using meta-analytic functional decoding techniques. However, additional methodological development is necessary to fully leverage available meta-analytic methods and resources and quantitatively evaluate their relative performance. Here, we conducted a comprehensive series of analyses to investigate and improve the framework of data-driven, meta-analytic methods, thereby establishing a principled approach for gradient segmentation and functional decoding. We found that a two-segment solution determined by a k-means segmentation approach and an LDA-based meta-analysis combined with the NeuroQuery database was the optimal combination of methods for decoding functional connectivity gradients. Finally, we proposed a method for decoding additional components of the gradient decomposition. The current work aims to provide recommendations on best practices and flexible methods for gradient-based functional decoding of fMRI data.

Graded functional organisation in the left inferior frontal gyrus: evidence from task-free and task-based functional connectivity.

The left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) has been ascribed key roles in numerous cognitive domains, including language, executive function and social cognition. However, its functional organisation, and how the specific areas implicated in these cognitive domains relate to each other, is unclear. Possibilities include that the LIFG underpins a domain-general function or, alternatively, that it is characterized by functional differentiation, which might occur in either a discrete or a graded pattern. The aim of the present study was to explore the topographical organisation of the LIFG using a bimodal data-driven approach. To this end, we extracted functional connectivity (FC) gradients from 1) the resting-state fMRI time-series of 150 participants (77 female), and 2) patterns of co-activation derived meta-analytically from task data across a diverse set of cognitive domains. We then sought to characterize the FC differences driving these gradients with seed-based resting-state FC and meta-analytic co-activation modelling analyses. Both analytic approaches converged on an FC profile that shifted in a graded fashion along two main organisational axes. An anterior-posterior gradient shifted from being preferentially associated with high-level control networks (anterior LIFG) to being more tightly coupled with perceptually-driven networks (posterior). A second dorsal-ventral axis was characterized by higher connectivity with domain-general control networks on one hand (dorsal LIFG), and with the semantic network, on the other (ventral). These results provide novel insights into a graded functional organisation of the LIFG underpinning both task-free and task-constrained mental states, and suggest that the LIFG is an interface between distinct large-scale functional networks.

The Link Between Neuroticism and Everyday Cognitive Failures is Mediated by Self-Reported Mindfulness Among College Students.

Neuroticism has been linked to an increased likelihood of cognitive failures, including episodes of inattentiveness, forgetfulness, or accidents causing difficulties in successfully executing everyday tasks and impacting health and quality of life. Cognitive failures associated with trait neuroticism can prompt some negative psychological outcomes and risky behaviors. Accumulating evidence shows that augmenting mindfulness can benefit cognitive health and general well-being. However, little is known regarding potential cognitive-behavioral pathways through which individual differences in trait neuroticism could influence the propensity to cognitive failures. Using a sample of 1003 undergraduate college students (females: n = 779) consisting of self-reported questionnaire data, we conducted correlational and mediational analyses to investigate the interrelationship between neuroticism, mindfulness, and cognitive failures. Higher neuroticism scores (females: r = -0.388, males: r = -0.390) and higher cognitive failures scores (females: r = -0.339, males: r = -0.407, p < .001) were significantly correlated with lower self-reported mindfulness scores. Mindfulness significantly mediated the relationship between neuroticism and cognitive failures (ß = 0.50, 95%, CI: 0.37, 0.65). These findings indicate that higher mindfulness may help ameliorate negative effects of neuroticism on everyday cognitive failures. Future research will determine how college students may benefit from positive impact of mindfulness to improve their psychological and physical health.

Neural systems underlying RDoC social constructs: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the "social brain". We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed on whole-brain coordinates reported from 864 fMRI contrasts using the NiMARE Python package, revealing convergence in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, bilateral insula, amygdala, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and thalamus. Additionally, four separate RDoC-based meta-analyses revealed differential convergence associated with the four social constructs. These outcomes highlight the neural support underlying these social constructs and inform future research on alterations among neurotypical and atypical populations.

Extended functional connectivity of convergent structural alterations among individuals with PTSD: a neuroimaging meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder defined by the onset of intrusive, avoidant, negative cognitive or affective, and/or hyperarousal symptoms after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Previous voxel-based morphometry studies have provided insight into structural brain alterations associated with PTSD with notable heterogeneity across these studies. Furthermore, how structural alterations may be associated with brain function, as measured by task-free and task-based functional connectivity, remains to be elucidated. METHODS: Using emergent meta-analytic techniques, we sought to first identify a consensus of structural alterations in PTSD using the anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) approach. Next, we generated functional profiles of identified convergent structural regions utilizing resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and meta-analytic co-activation modeling (MACM) methods. Finally, we performed functional decoding to examine mental functions associated with our ALE, rsFC, and MACM brain characterizations. RESULTS: We observed convergent structural alterations in a single region located in the medial prefrontal cortex. The resultant rsFC and MACM maps identified functional connectivity across a widespread, whole-brain network that included frontoparietal and limbic regions. Functional decoding revealed overlapping associations with attention, memory, and emotion processes. CONCLUSIONS: Consensus-based functional connectivity was observed in regions of the default mode, salience, and central executive networks, which play a role in the tripartite model of psychopathology. Taken together, these findings have important implications for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms associated with PTSD.

Convergent gray matter alterations across drugs of abuse and network-level implications: A meta-analysis of structural MRI studies.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies often consider brain alterations linked with substance abuse within the context of individual drugs (e.g., nicotine), while neurobiological theories of addiction emphasize common brain network-level alterations across drug classes. Using emergent meta-analytic techniques, we identified common structural brain alterations across drugs and characterized the functionally-connected networks with which such structurally altered regions interact. METHODS: We identified 82 articles characterizing gray matter (GM) volume differences for substance users vs. controls. Using the anatomical likelihood estimation algorithm, we identified convergent GM reductions across drug classes. Next, we performed resting-state and meta-analytic functional connectivity analyses using each structurally altered region as a seed and computed whole-brain functional connectivity profiles as the union of both maps. We characterized an "extended network" by identifying brain areas demonstrating the highest degree of functional coupling with structurally impacted regions. Finally, hierarchical clustering was performed leveraging extended network nodes' functional connectivity profiles to delineate subnetworks. RESULTS: Across drug classes, we identified medial frontal/ventromedial prefrontal, and multiple regions in anterior cingulate (ACC) and insula as regions displaying convergent GM reductions among users. Overlap of these regions' functional connectivity profiles identified ACC, inferior frontal, PCC, insula, superior temporal, and putamen as regions of an impacted extended network. Hierarchical clustering revealed 3 subnetworks closely corresponding to default mode (PCC, angular), salience (dACC, caudate), and executive control networks (dlPFC and parietal). CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes suggest that substance-related structural brain alterations likely have implications for the functioning of canonical large-scale networks and the perpetuation of substance use and neurocognitive alterations.

The association of amygdala-insula functional connectivity and adolescent e-cigarette use via sleep problems and depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use remains high. Elucidating contributing factors may enhance prevention strategies. Neurobiologically, amygdala-insula resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has been linked with aspects of sleep, affect, and substance use (SU). As such, we hypothesized that amygdala's rsFC with the insula would be associated with e-cigarette use via sleep problems and/or depression levels. METHODS: An adolescent sample (N = 146) completed a rs-fMRI scan at time 1 and self-reports at time 2 (∼15 months later). Given consistent associations between mental health outcomes and the rsFC of the laterobasal amygdala (lbAMY) with the anterior insula, we utilized a seed region (lbAMY) to region of interest (ROI) analysis approach to characterize brain-behavior relationships. Two serial mediation models tested the interrelations between amygdala's rsFC with distinct anterior insula subregions (i.e., ventral insula [vI], dorsal insula [dI]), sleep problems, depression levels, and days of e-cigarette use. RESULTS: An indirect effect was observed when considering the lbAMY's rsFC with the vI. Greater rsFC predicted more sleep problems, more sleep problems were linked with greater depressive symptoms, and greater depressive symptoms were associated with more e-cigarette use (indirect effect = 0.08, CI [0.01,0.21]). Indicative of a neurobiological dissociation, a similar indirect effect linking these variables was not observed when considering the lbAMY's rsFC with the dI (indirect effect = 0.03, CI [-0.001,0.10]). CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes highlight functional interactions between the amygdala and insula as a neurobiological contributor to sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and ultimately SU thereby suggesting potential intervention points to reduce teen e-cigarette use.

Risky decision-making strategies mediate the relationship between amygdala activity and real-world financial savings among individuals from lower income households: A pilot study.

Lower financial savings among individuals experiencing adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) increases vulnerabilities during times of crisis. SDoH including low socioeconomic status (low-SES) influence cognitive abilities as well as health and life outcomes that may perpetuate poverty and disparities. Despite evidence suggesting a role for financial growth in minimizing SDoH-related disparities and vulnerabilities, neurobiological mechanisms linked with financial behavior remain to be elucidated. As such, we examined the relationships between brain activity during decision-making (DM), laboratory-based task performance, and money savings behavior. Participants (N = 24, 14 females) from low-SES households (income<$20,000/year) underwent fMRI scanning while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), a DM paradigm probing risky- and strategic-DM processes. Participants also completed self-report instruments characterizing relevant personality characteristics and then engaged in a community outreach financial program where amount of money saved was tracked over a 6-month period. Regarding BART-related brain activity, we observed expected activity in regions implicated in reward and emotional processing including the amygdala. Regarding brain-behavior relationships, we found that laboratory-based BART performance mediated the impact of amygdala activity on real-world behavior. That is, elevated amygdala activity was linked with BART strategic-DM which, in turn, was linked with more money saved after 6 months. In exploratory analyses, this mediation was moderated by emotion-related personality characteristics such that, only individuals reporting lower alexithymia demonstrated a relationship between amygdala activity and savings. These outcomes suggest that DM-related amygdala activity and/or emotion-related personality characteristics may provide utility as an endophenotypic marker of individual's financial savings behavior.

Interactive Effects of HIV Infection and Cannabis Use on Insula Subregion Functional Connectivity.

Chronic inflammation in the central nervous system is one mechanism through which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may lead to progressive cognitive decline. Given cannabis's (CB's) anti-inflammatory properties, use prevalence among people living with HIV (PLWH), and evidence implicating the insula in both, we examined independent and interactive effects of HIV and CB on insular circuitry, cognition, and immune function. We assessed resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of three insula subregions among 106 participants across four groups (co-occurring: HIV+/CB+; HIV-only: HIV+/CB-; CB-only: HIV-/CB+; controls: HIV-/CB-). Participants completed a neurocognitive battery assessing functioning across multiple domains and self-reported somatic complaints. Blood samples quantified immune function (T-cell counts) and inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]). We observed interactive HIV × CB effects on rsFC strength between two anterior insula (aI) subregions and sensorimotor cortices such that, CB appeared to normalize altered rsFC among non-using PLWH. Specifically, compared to controls, HIV-only and CB-only groups displayed decreased dorsal anterior insula (DI) - postcentral gyrus rsFC and increased ventral anterior insula (VI) - supplementary motor area rsFC, whereas the co-occurring group displayed DI and VI rsFC more akin to that of controls. Altered DI - postcentral rsFC correlated with decreased processing speed and somatic complaints, but did not significantly correlate with inflammation (TNF-α). These outcomes implicate insula - sensorimotor neurocircuitries in HIV and CB and are consistent with prior work suggesting that CB use may normalize insula functioning among PLWH.

Altered large-scale brain network interactions associated with HIV infection and error processing.

Altered activity within and between large-scale brain networks has been implicated across various neuropsychiatric conditions. However, patterns of network dysregulation associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and further impacted by cannabis (CB) use, remain to be delineated. We examined the impact of HIV and CB on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between brain networks and associations with error awareness and error-related network responsivity. Participants (N = 106), stratified into four groups (HIV+/CB+, HIV+/CB-, HIV-/CB+, HIV-/CB-), underwent fMRI scanning while completing a resting-state scan and a modified Go/NoGo paradigm assessing brain responsivity to errors and explicit error awareness. We examined separate and interactive effects of HIV and CB on resource allocation indexes (RAIs), a measure quantifying rsFC strength between the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN). We observed reduced RAIs among HIV+ (vs. HIV-) participants, which was driven by increased SN-DMN rsFC. No group differences were detected for SN-CEN rsFC. Increased SN-DMN rsFC correlated with diminished error awareness, but not with error-related network responsivity. These outcomes highlight altered network interactions among participants with HIV and suggest such rsFC dysregulation may persist during task performance, reflecting an inability to disengage irrelevant mental operations, ultimately hindering error processing.

Neural response to monetary loss among youth with disruptive behavior disorders and callous-unemotional traits in the ABCD study.

Etiological models highlight reduced punishment sensitivity as a core risk factor for disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The current study examined neural sensitivity to the anticipation and receipt of loss, one key aspect of punishment sensitivity, among youth with DBD, comparing those with and without CU traits. Data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD)SM Study (N = 11,874; Mage = 9.51; 48% female). Loss-related fMRI activity during the monetary incentive delay task was examined across 16 empirically-derived a priori brain regions (e.g., striatum, amygdala, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex) and compared across the following groups: (1) typically developing (n = 693); (2) DBD (n = 995), subdivided into those (3) with CU traits (DBD + CU, n = 198), and (4) without CU traits (DBD-only, n = 276). Latent variable modeling was also employed to examine network-level activity. There were no significant between-group differences in brain activity to loss anticipation or receipt. Null findings were confirmed with and without covariates, using alternative grouping approaches, and in dimensional models. Network-level analyses also demonstrated comparable activity across groups during loss anticipation and receipt. Findings suggest that differences in punishment sensitivity among youth with DBD are unrelated to loss anticipation or receipt. More precise characterizations of other aspects punishment sensitivity are needed to understand risk for DBD and CU traits.

The cue-reactivity paradigm: An ensemble of networks driving attention and cognition when viewing drug and natural reward-related stimuli.

The cue-reactivity paradigm is a widely adopted neuroimaging probe engendering brain activity linked with attentional, affective, and reward processes following presentation of appetitive stimuli. Given the multiple mental operations invoked, we sought to decompose cue-related brain activity into constituent components employing emergent meta-analytic techniques when considering drug and natural reward-related cues. We conducted coordinate-based meta-analyses delineating common and distinct brain activity convergence across cue-reactivity studies (N = 196 articles) involving drug (n = 133) or natural (n = 63) visual stimuli. Across all studies, convergence was observed in limbic, cingulate, insula, and fronto-parieto-occipital regions. Drug-distinct convergence was observed in posterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal, and temporo-parietal regions, whereas distinct-natural convergence was observed in thalamic, insular, orbitofrontal, and occipital regions. We characterized connectivity profiles of identified regions by leveraging task-independent and task-dependent MRI datasets, grouped these profiles into subnetworks, and linked each with putative mental operations. Outcomes suggest multifaceted brain activity during cue-reactivity can be decomposed into elemental processes and indicate that while drugs of abuse usurp the brain's natural-reward-processing system, some regions appear distinct to drug cue-reactivity.

HIV infection is linked with reduced error-related default mode network suppression and poorer medication management abilities.

OBJECTIVE: Brain activity linked with error processing has rarely been examined among persons living with HIV (PLWH) despite importance for monitoring and modifying behaviors that could lead to adverse health outcomes (e.g., medication non-adherence, drug use, risky sexual practices). Given that cannabis (CB) use is prevalent among PLWH and impacts error processing, we assessed the influence of HIV serostatus and chronic CB use on error-related brain activity while also considering associated implications for everyday functioning and clinically-relevant disease management behaviors. METHODS: A sample of 109 participants, stratified into four groups by HIV and CB (HIV+/CB+, n = 32; HIV+/CB-, n = 27; HIV-/CB+, n = 28; HIV-/CB-, n = 22), underwent fMRI scanning while completing a modified Go/NoGo paradigm called the Error Awareness Task (EAT). Participants also completed a battery of well-validated instruments including a subjective report of everyday cognitive failures and an objective measure of medication management abilities. RESULTS: Across all participants, we observed expected error-related anterior insula (aI) activation which correlated with better task performance (i.e., less errors) and, among HIV- participants, fewer self-reported cognitive failures. Regarding awareness, greater insula activation as well as greater posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) deactivation were notably linked with aware (vs. unaware) errors. Regarding group effects, unlike HIV- participants, PLWH displayed a lack of error-related deactivation in two default mode network (DMN) regions (i.e., PCC, medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC]). No CB main or interaction effects were detected. Across all participants, reduced error-related PCC deactivation correlated with reduced medication management abilities and PCC deactivation mediated the effect of HIV on such abilities. More lifetime CB use was linked with reduced error-related mPFC deactivation among HIV- participants and poorer medication management across CB users. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that insufficient error-related DMN suppression linked with HIV infection, as well as chronic CB use among HIV- participants, has real-world consequences for medication management behaviors. We speculate that insufficient DMN suppression may reflect an inability to disengage task irrelevant mental operations, ultimately hindering error monitoring and behavior modification.

What Executive Function Network is that? An Image-Based Meta-Analysis of Network Labels.

The current state of label conventions used to describe brain networks related to executive functions is highly inconsistent, leading to confusion among researchers regarding network labels. Visually similar networks are referred to by different labels, yet these same labels are used to distinguish networks within studies. We performed a literature review of fMRI studies and identified nine frequently-used labels that are used to describe topographically or functionally similar neural networks: central executive network (CEN), cognitive control network (CCN), dorsal attention network (DAN), executive control network (ECN), executive network (EN), frontoparietal network (FPN), working memory network (WMN), task positive network (TPN), and ventral attention network (VAN). Our aim was to meta-analytically determine consistency of network topography within and across these labels. We hypothesized finding considerable overlap in the spatial topography among the neural networks associated with these labels. An image-based meta-analysis was performed on 158 group-level statistical maps (SPMs) received from authors of 69 papers listed on PubMed. Our results indicated that there was very little consistency in the SPMs labeled with a given network name. We identified four clusters of SPMs representing four spatially distinct executive function networks. We provide recommendations regarding label nomenclature and propose that authors looking to assign labels to executive function networks adopt this template set for labeling networks.

Reward Processing in Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Callous-Unemotional Traits in the ABCD Study.

OBJECTIVE: Disrupted reward processing is implicated in the etiology of disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) and callous-unemotional traits. However, neuroimaging investigations of reward processing underlying these phenotypes remain sparse. The authors examined neural sensitivity in response to reward anticipation and receipt among youths with DBDs, with and without callous-unemotional traits. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (mean age=9.51 years [SD=0.50]; 49% female). Reward-related activation during the monetary incentive delay task was examined across 16 brain regions, including the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Latent variable modeling was used to examine network-level coactivation. The following diagnostic groups were compared: typically developing youths (N=693) and youths with DBDs (N=995), subdivided into those with callous-unemotional traits (DBD+CU, N=198) and without callous-unemotional traits (DBD only, N=276). RESULTS: During reward anticipation, youths in the overall DBD group (with and without callous-unemotional traits) showed decreased dorsal ACC activation compared with typically developing youths. The DBD-only group exhibited reduced ventral and dorsal striatal activity compared with the DBD+CU and typically developing groups. During reward receipt, youths with DBDs showed increased cortical (e.g., OFC) and subcortical (e.g., NAcc) regional activation compared with typically developing youths. The DBD+CU group demonstrated greater activation in several regions compared with those in the typically developing (e.g., amygdala) and DBD-only (e.g., dorsal ACC) groups. At the network level, the DBD-only group showed reduced anticipatory reward activation compared with the typically developing and DBD+CU groups, whereas youths in the DBD+CU group showed increased activation during reward receipt compared with those in the typically developing group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings advance our understanding of unique neuroetiologic pathways to DBDs and callous-unemotional traits.

Multiple large-scale neural networks underlying emotion regulation.

Recent models suggest emotion generation, perception, and regulation rely on multiple, interacting large-scale brain networks. Despite the wealth of research in this field, the exact functional nature and different topological features of these neural networks remain elusive. Here, we addressed both using a well-established data-driven meta-analytic grouping approach. We applied k-means clustering to a large set of previously published experiments investigating emotion regulation (independent of strategy, goal and stimulus type) to segregate the results of these experiments into large-scale networks. To elucidate the functional nature of these distinct networks, we used functional decoding of metadata terms (i.e. task-level descriptions and behavioral domains). We identified four large-scale brain networks. The first two were related to regulation and functionally characterized by a stronger focus on response inhibition or executive control versus appraisal or language processing. In contrast, the second two networks were primarily related to emotion generation, appraisal, and physiological processes. We discuss how our findings corroborate and inform contemporary models of emotion regulation and thereby significantly add to the literature.

Disruptive Behavior Problems, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Regional Gray Matter Volume in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study.

BACKGROUND: Neurobiological differences linked to socioemotional and cognitive processing are well documented in youths with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs), especially youths with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The current study expanded this literature by examining gray matter volume (GMV) differences among youths with DBD with CU traits (DBDCU+), youths with DBD without CU traits (DBD-only), and youths that were typically developing (TD). METHODS: Data were from the first full sample release of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (mean age = 9.49 years; 49% female). We tested whether the GMVs of 11 regions of interest selected a priori differentiated between our 3 groups: DBDCU+ (n = 288), DBD-only (n = 362), and TD (n = 915). Models accounted for demographic confounders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intracranial volume. We examined two potential moderators of the relationship between GMVs and group membership: sex and clinically significant anxiety (i.e., primary vs. secondary CU traits subtype). RESULTS: Youths in the DBDCU+ group had lower right amygdala GMV, and youths in the DBD-only group had lower bilateral amygdala GMV relative to TD youths. Youths in the DBDCU+ group had lower bilateral hippocampal GMV, and youths in the DBD-only group had lower left hippocampal GMV relative to TD youths. Youths in the DBDCU+ group evidenced lower left insula GMV relative to TD youths. Finally, youths in the DBD-only group had lower left superior frontal gyrus and lower right caudal anterior cingulate cortex GMVs relative to TD youths. There was no moderation of associations between GMV and group membership by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings implicate structural aberrations in both the amygdala and hippocampus in the etiology of DBDs, with minimal evidence for differences based on the presence or absence of CU traits.