During preadolescence (ages 9 to 12), notable deviations from the expected trajectory of brain structure and function may occur and be linked to psychiatric disorders. With collaborators at the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, we used neuroimaging data from a large group of preadolescents from the ABCD cohort to study brain development and its relationship with cognitive abilities and psychiatric symptoms. We found that an unusual developmental coupling between cortical and subcortical brain regions was associated with poor cognitive performance and more psychiatric symptoms. These findings suggest that brain development during preadolescence may be an important factor in mental health.
Published in Molecular Psychiatry
