Poster Session 10 Program Schedule
02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions
Final Abstract #84
Changes in Cognitive Performance and White Matter Microstructure: Findings from the ABCD Study
Cassandra Rosenberg, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Holly Dustin, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Jingyu Liu, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Elizabeth Tighe, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Tricia King, georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Category: Neuroimaging
Keyword 1: cognitive functioning
Keyword 2: adolescence
Keyword 3: anterior cingulate
Objective:
Understanding the neural basis of executive function, specifically inhibitory control and processing speed, is critical as both cognitive domains have been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Performance on cognitive measures undergoes significant change during development with the maturation of white matter microstructure pathways, playing a crucial role. The anterior cingulum helps orchestrate a wide range of cognitive and emotional processes that are essential for executive function, including inhibitory control. Associations between inhibition and white matter microstructure have been identified in children and adolescents. However, the role of the anterior cingulate in inhibitory control remains unclear due to the lack of longitudinal studies across adolescence and limited reproducibility. In this study, we utilized the largest multi-site study in child development to investigate change over time and associations between white matter microstructure in the cingulum and inhibition.
Participants and Methods:
We analyzed a portion of the available data from The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (ABCD) (total n diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans: 1,000; total N=500). We assessed attention and inhibitory control (Flanker test) and processing speed (Pattern Comparison) performance via the National Institutes of Health Toolbox (NIH-TB) with 9- to 10-year-olds at baseline and 11- to 12-year-olds at two-year follow up visits. White matter fractional anisotropy (FA) was quantified using FSL TBSS in the anterior cingulum. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to assess changes in FA and behavioral scores across time-points. Change scores were calculated by subtracting two-year follow up values (i.e., age-corrected standard scores [SS] and FA) from baseline values. Correlations investigated relationships among behavioral SS change and cingulum FA change.
Results:
There was a significant increase in processing speed performance on the NIH-TB between timepoints, which improved by a mean of 12.8 SS points (SD=23; t=12.1, p<.001). Inhibitory control increased by a mean of 1.2 SS points and was not significantly different between timepoints. We identified a significant increase in cingulum FA between timepoints (t=19.6, p<.001). We did not identify longitudinal associations between white matter microstructure (increased FA) and increased inhibitory control or processing speed performance.
Conclusions:
Despite identifying significant changes in anterior cingulate white matter microstructure and improvements on processing speed over time, we did not detect significant relationships between white matter microstructure and cognitive performance. We propose two explanations for this finding. First, poor test-retest reliability in the NIH-TB may have hindered our ability to identify significant associations in youth, especially with the presence of large retest intervals. Studies that have assessed long-term stability of the NIH-TB have found low to moderate reliability indices with values ranging between 0.14-0.77 (Scott et al., 2019) and 0.31- 0.76 (Taylor et al., 2022). Lack of good test-retest reliability limits our ability to interpret true neurocognitive changes over time. Secondly, differences in study design may explain the contrast from prior literature as most studies adopted a cross-sectional design. Future studies should examine the psychometric properties of the NIH-TB as well as consider the use of reliable change indices that consider the poor test-retest reliability to assess meaningful change over time.
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