Academic Interests
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Structural and functional brain maturation in childhood and adolescence
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Neurocognitive development in relation to mental health
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Cognitive development, particularly in the domains of cognitive control, working memory, learning, and long-term memory
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Effects of social and emotional information on cognitive processes
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Predictors and risk factors in neurocognitive development
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Multimodal neuroimaging (MRI, DTI, EEG)
Students interested in pursuing a cand. psychol or MA thesis on any of these research topics are wellcome to contact me.
Higher education and employment history
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Professor, PROMENTA Research Center and NORMENT Center of Excellence, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 2019-current
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Researcher, Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, 2018-current
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Visiting researcher, Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Netherlands, 2016
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Researcher, Section for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience and Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 2014-2018
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Fulbright visiting researcher, Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, USA, 2011
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Postdoctoral researcher, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 2010-2014
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PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 2006-2010
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Graduate program in clinical psychology (Cand. Psychol), University of Oslo, 2000-2006
Tags:
Developmental psychology,
Cognitive neuroscience,
PROMENTA
Publications
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Kraft, Brage; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Page, Christian Magnus; Lyle, Robert; Tsotsi, Stella & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2026).
The effect of prenatal maternal stress on adolescent internalizing symptoms and the genetic moderation of executive functioning and prefrontal cortex.
Psychological Medicine.
ISSN 0033-2917.
56.
doi:
10.1017/S0033291726105431.
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Background: Prenatal maternal stress is a known risk factor for later emotional problems, yet not all exposed offspring develop psychopathology. Executive functioning and prefrontal cortex structure and activity may buffer these effects, but it remains unclear whether genetic predis positions in these domains moderate associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms.
Methods: We examined 3,111 adolescents (1,881 females, 1,230 males). Prenatal stress was measured via a cumulative index across four domains. Internalizing symptoms were self reported at ages 14 and 16. Genetic predisposition for executive functioning was indexed using a polygenic score (PGS) derived from adult samples, applied here to estimate genetic predis position for executive functioning in adolescence. We also estimated a prefrontal cortex PGS based on cortical thickness and activation in six prefrontal regions, with a composite index derived from the first principal axis summarizing these measures.
Results: Higher prenatal stress was significantly associated with more internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Female sex and maternal genetic risk for internalizing symptoms were also associated with higher symptom levels. Neither genetic disposition for executive functioning nor prefrontal cortex moderated this association overall. However, a weak interaction emerged at age 16, indicating that a genetic disposition for higher executive functioning was associated with greater internalizing symptoms under high stress exposure.
Conclusions: Prenatal maternal stress predicted increased adolescent internalizing symptoms, with limited evidence for moderation by genetic predisposition for executive functioning. Higher genetic potential for executive functioning may confer increased sensitivity to early stress under certain developmental conditions.
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Barak, Eden Nordvold; Kolskår, Knut-Kristian; Dahl, Christine; Alnæs, Dag; Andreassen, Ole & Nærland, Terje
[Show all 9 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Birth Weight and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across Diagnostic Categories: A Registry-Based Case–Control Study in Clinically Ascertained Samples | Child Psychiatry & Human Development | Springer Nature Link.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
ISSN 0009-398X.
doi:
10.1007/s10578-026-02090-8.
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Increasing prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is a growing public health concern. Identifying early risk markers may facilitate earlier intervention and reduce long-term burden. Although birth weight has been widely studied in relation to NDDs, evidence from clinically ascertained samples with single and overlapping diagnoses remains limited. In this case-control study, we compared birth weight between clinically referred individuals with intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the Norwegian BUPgen registry (n = 720) and a population-based sample from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) (n = 98,716). Perinatal data were obtained through linkage to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Associations were examined using logistic regression adjusted for gestational age, sex, and parental age. Additional analyses assessed interactions by sex and parental age, and birth weight categories. For each 100 g decrease in birth weight, odds significantly increased for the groups any NDD (one or more NDD diagnoses; OR = 1.04) and multiple diagnoses (two or more co-occurring NDDs; OR = 1.07). In diagnosis specific analyses, odds significantly increased for ID (OR = 1.15) and ASD (OR = 1.03). No interactions were observed. In categorical analyses, low birth weight was associated with higher odds of ID (OR = 8.27, p < 0.001), multiple diagnoses (OR = 4.96, p < 0.001), and any NDD (OR = 2.11, p = 0.002). No associations were observed for high birth weight. These findings support low birth weight as an early marker of neurodevelopmental vulnerability across NDD outcomes. Lower birth weight was associated with higher odds of ID, ASD, multiple diagnoses and any NDD, but not ADHD. Associations were strongest and most consistent for ID and comorbid presentations, indicating heterogeneity across diagnostic categories. Increased risk was primarily observed at low birth weight, with no associations for high birth weight. Findings support birth weight as an early marker of neurodevelopmental vulnerability in a clinically ascertained sample.
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Sætren, Sjur Skjørshammer; Tjora, Tore; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Ferschmann, Lia; Hafstad, Gertrud Sofie & Augusti, Else-Marie
(2026).
Distinct Associations of Threat and Deprivation With Changes in Affective Control during Adolescence: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study.
Developmental Science.
ISSN 1363-755X.
29(5).
doi:
10.1111/desc.70264.
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Beck, Dani; Carrick, Chloe; Aksnes, Eira Ranheim; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Fuhrmann, Delia
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Synchrony between brain age and internalising and externalising symptoms across adolescence.
Communications Biology.
doi:
10.1038/s42003-026-10722-x.
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Abstract Adolescence is a period of rapid neurobiological and behavioural change, yet how brain maturation deviations relate to psychopathology remains unclear. Here, we show, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, that deviations in brain age are coupled with internalising and externalising symptom development across adolescence. Combining multimodal brain age prediction across four waves (ages ~8.3–17.5) with bivariate latent growth curve models of ten symptom waves, we found coordinated nonlinear development between brain maturation and symptoms: adolescents whose brains increasingly diverged from age-expected maturation showed increasing symptoms. Effects were most consistent for internalising symptoms in females ( r = 0.15–0.23) and broader for externalising symptoms in both sexes ( r = 0.15–0.32); intercept-level associations were weaker ( r = 0.08–0.09). Sex differences were not robust after correction. Vulnerability to adolescent psychopathology appears more closely linked to changes in brain maturational tempo than to fixed differences in brain age.
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Beck, Dani; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2026).
Cardiometabolic Risk and Structural Brain Development in a Large Community-Based US Cohort.
Human Brain Mapping.
ISSN 1065-9471.
47(8).
doi:
10.1002/hbm.70575.
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Sørensen, Lin; Hjo, Emy Camille Cornelia; Vollsund, Anna Elfrida Hovde; Flo-Groeneboom, Elisabeth; Jensen, Daniel Andre & Tømmeraas, Ane Martine
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Emotion regulation difficulties in adults with ADHD and associations with insomnia symptoms.
Journal of Affective Disorders.
ISSN 0165-0327.
411.
doi:
10.1016/j.jad.2026.121941.
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Objectives: Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience both emotion regulation difficulties and sleep disturbances. Although theories of insomnia and studies in non-ADHD samples suggest a link between poor emotion regulation and insomnia, this relationship is understudied in ADHD. We examined whether difficulties regulating emotions were associated with insomnia symptoms in adults with ADHD, and whether this association was moderated by gender, age (<30 or ≥30 years), or eveningness preference.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed in collaboration with the Norwegian ADHD Association. Of 1541 respondents, 1414 adults with self-reported ADHD diagnosis (81% female; ages 16–74; years, M age = 40 years) met inclusion criteria. Participants completed measures of emotion regulation, insomnia symptoms, chronotype, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including education level, occupational status, ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety, substance use, medication use, and comorbid conditions.
Results: Multiple linear regression analyses showed that greater emotion regulation difficulties, especially limited access to effective regulation strategies, were associated with more insomnia symptoms. Associations remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The association between emotion regulation difficulties and more insomnia symptoms was stronger (medium effects) among emerging adults (<30 years) than older adults (small effects). No moderation effects were found for gender, age as a continuous moderator, or eveningness preference.
Conclusions: Difficulties in adaptively regulating emotional states, a common challenge in ADHD, were linked to more insomnia symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of assessing and addressing sleep disturbances in adults with ADHD, particularly among those with emotion regulation difficulties.
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Brieant, Alexis; Chaku, Natasha; Beck, Dani; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Rakesh, Divyangana & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2026).
Timing and tempo of puberty and neurodevelopment following adversity: A registered report.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
79.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101738.
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Yang, Xi; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole; Bachman, Peter; Baeza, Inmaculada & Bartholomeusz, Cali
[Show all 78 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Local chemoarchitecture explains widespread lower cortical thickness associated with clinical high risk for psychosis.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-026-03586-4.
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The Clinical High Risk (CHR) state for psychosis is consistently associated with widespread cortical thinning. However, the underlying mechanisms driving this neuroanatomical phenotype remain poorly understood. Here, we integrated the ENIGMA CHR Working Group’s large pooled dataset (N = 1782 CHR, N = 1333 healthy controls) with an open-source PET molecular atlas to identify, for the first time, potential neurochemical drivers of cortical thinning associated with psychosis risk, transition, and its core symptoms. Using multilinear model analysis, we show that local chemoarchitecture significantly explains CT differences associated with CHR case-control status, the severity of negative symptoms, and future psychosis transition after excluding medication confounds. PET-based maps of dopamine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, and norepinephrine consistently emerged as the strongest predictors of lower CT in CHR and psychosis transition (total dominance range: 62–69% and 58–87%, respectively), with contributions of monoamine systems being especially sensitive to medication exposure (8–23% change in dominance range). Negative symptom-associated cortical thinning was best explained by PET-based maps of dopamine, histamine, serotonin and opioid systems (total dominance range: 60–81%), with contributions of histamine being sensitive to medication exposure (9–19% change in dominance range). Combined, these results uniquely identify specific neurochemical systems – particularly monoaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways – as key molecular mechanisms associated with cortical thinning in people at high risk of developing psychosis.
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Ferschmann, Lia; Dobbelaar, Simone; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Tsotsi, Stella; Toenders, Yara Jo & MacSweeney, Niamh Anne
(2026).
Longitudinal Associations Between Pubertal Development and Youth Behavioral Adjustment in the Context of Parent and Peer Relationships.
Social Development.
ISSN 0961-205X.
35(3).
doi:
10.1111/sode.70068.
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Gurholt, Tiril Pedersen; Beck, Dani; Voldsbekk, Irene; Parker, Nadine; Askeland-Gjerde, Daniel E. & Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø de
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Linking obesity with white matter microstructure highlights the importance of brainstem tracts and sex differences.
Brain Communications.
8(1),
p. 1–15.
doi:
10.1093/braincomms/fcag026.
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While obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) has been consistently associated with white matter diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phenotypes, the contributions of common obesity phenotypes on various diffusion metrics, and the moderating effects of sex and age, require further clarification. This study aims to elucidate these body–brain connections to enhance our understanding of the comorbid link between obesity and body anthropometrics and the brain using a large-scale dataset. We analysed cross-sectional data from 40 040 participants from the UK Biobank (52.2% female; ages 44–83 years) using multiple linear regression to evaluate how obesity and body anthropometrics relate to regional white matter diffusion tensor imaging metrics (fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, mean diffusivity). We also examined interactions with age and sex. Our analyses revealed significant associations between individual obesity phenotypes (i.e. obesity and body anthropometrics) and diffusion tensor imaging metrics of small effects, with partial correlation coefficient |r| effect sizes ranging from 0.02 to 0.20 for most regions of interest with largest effects in brainstem tracts. We observed more widespread sex-by-obesity phenotypes than age-by-obesity phenotypes interaction effects on diffusion tensor imaging metrics. Our results link obesity and body anthropometrics with white matter phenotypes and suggests that shared body fat-related pathways link physical and brain health that may vary based on sex and age. Understanding these body–brain relationships, and the role of age and sex, could enhance the development and evaluation of targeted, personalized, treatment strategies for brain disorders that co-occur with obesity, although further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to map the causal dynamics of these associations.
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Nerland, Stener; Barth, Claudia; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Bakke, Laura Anne Wortinger; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina & Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M.
[Show all 44 contributors for this article]
(2026).
Cerebral cortical alterations in adolescent early-onset psychosis: a surface-based morphometry mega-analysis.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-026-03641-0.
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Abstract Cortical brain morphology in early-onset psychosis (EOP; age of onset < 19 years) is poorly understood, partly due to recruitment constraints linked to its low incidence. We pooled T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 387 adolescents with EOP (mean age=16.1±1.5; 49.6% female) and 338 healthy controls (CTR; mean age=15.8±1.9, 54.4% female) from nine research sites worldwide. Using harmonized processing protocols with FreeSurfer, we extracted cortical brain metrics from 34 bilateral regions. Univariate regression analysis revealed widespread lower bilateral cortical thickness (left/right hemisphere: d =-0.36/-0.31), surface area (left/right: d =-0.42/-0.41), cortical volume (left/right: d =-0.58/-0.56), and Local Gyrification Index (LGI; left/right: d =-0.39/-0.52) in EOP relative to CTR. Subgroup analyses showed broader and more pronounced case-control differences in early-onset schizophrenia for area, volume, and LGI. We found no associations with antipsychotic medication use, illness duration, age of onset, or positive symptoms. Negative symptoms were related to smaller left lingual volumes (partial r =-0.21; p FDR =0.014) and antidepressant users had smaller area ( d =-0.43; p FDR =0.034) and volume ( d =-0.50; p FDR =0.003) of the right rostral anterior cingulate compared to non-users. Cortical alterations in EOP showed a similar pattern to those observed in prior studies on adults with schizophrenia (SCZ; r =0.62) and bipolar disorders (BD; r =0.61). However, surface area alterations were overall 1.5 times greater for EOP than adult SCZ and 4.6 times greater than adult BD. In the largest study of its kind, we observed an extensive pattern of cortical alterations in adolescents with psychotic disorders, highlighting the potential impact of aberrant neurodevelopment on cortical morphology in this clinical group.
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Beck, Dani; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2025).
Cardiometabolic risk and structural brain development in a large community-based U.S. cohort.
medRxiv.
doi:
10.1101/2025.10.23.25338683.
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Abstract Objective Cardiometabolic risk factors are already detectable in childhood and adolescence, but their relations to the developing brain remains unclear. The current study tested whether poorer cardiometabolic health is associated with brain structure and microstructure development in 10–17-year-old youth. Methods Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, we analysed data from 3,527 participants with 4,433 observations across three waves. We related anthropometric (body-mass index, waist circumference), cardiovascular (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate), and metabolic (haemoglobin A1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) indices to global cortical thickness and surface area, and to white matter fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. Bayesian multilevel models were fitted to estimate main and time-interaction effects, and sensitivity analyses tested within-person change, prospective prediction to the next wave, and replaced chronological age with puberty status. Results Higher body-mass index was associated with thinner cortex, and higher resting heart rate was associated with higher mean diffusivity, an association that strengthened over time. Other cardiometabolic measures favoured the null, and sensitivity analyses provided little evidence that wave-to-wave changes in cardiometabolic health tracked contemporaneous brain change or predicted subsequent brain structure. Conclusion Across late childhood and adolescence, brain architecture appears largely insensitive to variation in cardiometabolic risk indices.
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Liu, Siwei; Agartz, Ingrid; Allen, Paul; Amminger, G. Paul; Andreassen, Ole & Bachman, Peter
[Show all 113 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Structural covariance network topology in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: the ENIGMA-CHR Study.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-025-03304-6.
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Brain network architecture is anticipated to influence future grey matter loss in individuals at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis. However, existing studies on grey matter structural network properties in CHR are scarce and constrained by small sample sizes. Here, we examined network topology differences comparing a) CHR versus healthy controls (HC); b) CHR who transitioned to psychosis (CHR-T) versus those who did not (CHR-NT); and c) different subsyndromes. We included structural scans from 1842 CHR individuals and 1417 HC individuals from 31 sites within the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium. At the global level, CHR individuals exhibited lower structural covariance (q < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.164) and less optimal structural network configuration than HC (lower global efficiency and clustering coefficient, d = 0.100,0.087, qs <= 0.027). Though no global difference between CHR-T and CHR-NT, network distinctiveness of the frontal and temporal surface area networks was higher in CHR-T than CHR-NT (d = 0.223,0.237) and HC (d = 0.208,0.219) (qs < 0.001). Network distinctiveness of the frontal cortical thickness network was lower in CHR-T (d = 0.218, q < 0.001) than CHR-NT and HC (d = 0.165, q < 0.001). Importantly, higher network distinctiveness was associated with worse positive symptoms in CHR-NT (frontal surface area, q = 0.008, R2 = 0.013) and at trend with worse negative symptoms in CHR-T (frontal thickness, q = 0.063, R2 = 0.049). Further, the brief intermittent psychotic syndrome subgroup showed more severe network alterations. Together, brain structural networks inform symptoms and the risk of transition to psychosis in CHR individuals.
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Chen, Sau-Chin; Buchanan, Erin M.; Kekecs, Zoltan; Miller, Jeremy K.; Szabelska, Anna & Aczel, Balazs
[Show all 114 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Investigating object orientation effects across 18 languages.
Current Psychology.
ISSN 1046-1310.
44(24),
p. 19174–19174.
doi:
10.1007/s12144-025-08304-x.
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Mental simulation theories of language comprehension propose that people automatically create mental representations of objects mentioned in sentences. Mental representation is often measured with the sentence-picture verification task, wherein participants first read a sentence that implies the object property (i.e., shape and orientation). Participants then respond to an image of an object by indicating whether it was an object from the sentence or not. Previous studies have shown matching advantages for shape, but findings concerning object orientation have not been robust across languages. This registered report investigated the match advantage of object orientation across 18 languages in nearly 4,000 participants. The preregistered analysis revealed no compelling evidence for a match advantage for orientation across languages. Additionally, the match advantage was not predicted by mental rotation scores. In light of these findings, we discuss the implications for current theory and methodology surrounding mental simulation.
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Aksnes, Eira R.; Birkeland, Marianne Skogbrott; Ebrahimi, Omid V.; Bekkhus, Mona; Ferschmann, Lia & Beck, Dani
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Developmental dynamics of symptoms of emotional problems in childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal network analysis.
JCPP Advances.
doi:
10.1002/jcv2.70079.
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Abstract Background Epidemiological studies document increasing incident rates of mental disorders across childhood and adolescence, with mood and anxiety disorders particularly increasing among adolescent females. Research also indicates that these emotional problems have become more prevalent in recent decades. Yet, there is still a lack of understanding of the interrelated development of distinct emotional symptoms from childhood to adolescence. Methods Here, we investigate and compare symptom dynamics in males and females. To accomplish this, we leveraged longitudinal data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children study ( N = 11,120, 50.1% males at baseline). We used five items ( worries , unhappy , nervous , fearful , somatic complaints ) derived from the parent‐reported Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire emotional problems scale, measured at up to seven timepoints (mean age = 9.52, range = 4.0–18.3 years old). We estimated a panel Graphical Vector Autoregressive network model (GVAR) and statistically compared the networks of males and females. Results The temporal network revealed largely reciprocal associations among symptoms, with the strongest edges between fearful–nervous and unhappy–worries ( β = 0.04–0.06). The contemporaneous and between‐person networks showed similar structures, although the between‐person network exhibited fewer but stronger associations, reflecting more stable individual differences. Somatic complaints were weakly connected in the temporal network but more strongly associated in contemporaneous and between‐person networks. Network invariance testing indicated no significant sex differences in average network structure. Conclusion The study delineates the developmental dynamics of emotional symptoms across childhood and adolescence, highlighting bidirectional influences between core symptoms of depression and anxiety, but did not find support for sex differences in their developmental interrelatedness.
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Norbom, Linn B.; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Dahl, Andreas; Karl, Valerie; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian K.
(2025).
Socioeconomic context influences the heritability of child cortical structure.
Communications Biology.
8.
doi:
10.1038/s42003-025-09022-7.
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Children differ in brain cortical morphometry and microstructure, which together form the structural foundation for cognition. Cortical structure is highly heritable, but whether heritability varies across socioeconomic status (SES) is unknown. In this preregistered study, we estimated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability of cortical thickness, surface area, sulcal depth, and grey-/white-matter contrast (GWC) among 9,080 US 10-year-olds. We then tested whether genetic and environmental contributions were moderated by parental SES, defined as a composite of income, education, and neighbourhood deprivation. Cortical thickness and surface area showed high heritability, while sulcal depth and GWC exhibited moderate heritability. However, among children from lower-SES backgrounds, cortical differences were less genetically related and more uniquely environmentally related, at times exceeding genetic contributions. These findings suggest that in contexts of socioeconomic disadvantage, children’s brain structure reflect lived experience more strongly than previously recognized.
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M., Buchanan, Erin; A., Acar, Oguz; Balazs, Aczel,; Matúš, Adamkovič,; Giulia, Agnoletti, & M., Akil, Atakan
[Show all 324 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages.
Nature Human Behaviour.
doi:
10.1038/s41562-025-02254-x.
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Semantic priming has been studied for nearly 50 years across various experimental manipulations and theoretical frameworks. Although previous studies provide insight into the cognitive underpinnings of semantic representations, they have suffered from small sample sizes and a lack of linguistic and cultural diversity. In this Registered Report, we measured the size and the variability of the semantic priming effect across 19 languages (n = 25,163 participants analysed) by creating the largest available database of semantic priming values using an adaptive sampling procedure. We found evidence for semantic priming in terms of differences in response latencies between related word-pair conditions and unrelated word-pair conditions. Model comparisons showed that the inclusion of a random intercept for language improved model fit, providing support for variability in semantic priming across languages. This study highlights the robustness and variability of semantic priming across languages and provides a rich, linguistically diverse dataset for further analysis. The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 15 July 2022. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://osf.io/u5bp6 (registration) or https://osf.io/q4fjy (preprint version 6, 31 May 2022). In this Stage 2 Registered Report, Buchanan et al. show evidence confirming the phenomenon of semantic priming across speakers of 19 diverse languages.
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Heyman, Tom; Pronizius, Ekaterina; Lewis, Savannah C.; Acar, Oguz A.; Adamkovič, Matúš & Ambrosini, Ettore
[Show all 66 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Crowdsourcing multiverse analyses to explore the impact of different data-processing and analysis decisions: A tutorial.
Psychological methods.
ISSN 1082-989X.
doi:
10.1037/met0000770.
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When processing and analyzing empirical data, researchers regularly face choices that may appear arbitrary (e.g., how to define and handle outliers). If one chooses to exclusively focus on a particular option and conduct a single analysis, its outcome might be of limited utility. That is, one remains agnostic regarding the generalizability of the results, because plausible alternative paths remain unexplored. A multiverse analysis offers a solution to this issue by exploring the various choices pertaining to data-processing and/or model building, and examining their impact on the conclusion of a study. However, even though multiverse analyses are arguably less susceptible to biases compared to the typical single-pathway approach, it is still possible to selectively add or omit pathways. To address this issue, we outline a novel, more principled approach to conducting multiverse analyses through crowdsourcing. The approach is detailed in a step-by-step tutorial to facilitate its implementation. We also provide a worked-out illustration featuring the Semantic Priming Across Many Languages project, thereby demonstrating its feasibility and its ability to increase objectivity and transparency.
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Ferschmann, Lia; Tamnes, Christian Krog & Fridman, Linn Bonaventure
(2025).
Hjerneutvikling fra fosterlivet til voksen alder: Generelle mønstre og individuelle forskjeller.
In Olavesen, Ellen Solstad; Holme, Hanne; Valla, Lisbeth & Hansen, Marit Bergum (Ed.),
Helsestasjons- og skolehelsetjenesten - barn og unges psykiske helse og utvikling. 2. utgave..
Gyldendal Akademisk.
ISSN 9788205615397.
p. 19–38.
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Skirbekk, Vegard Fykse; Tamnes, Christian K.; Juliusson, Pétur Benedikt; Jugessur, Astanand & Soest, Tilmann von
(2025).
Diverging trends in the age of social and biological transitions to adulthood.
Advances in Life Course Research.
ISSN 1569-4909.
65.
doi:
10.1016/j.alcr.2025.100690.
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Lindseth, Linn Renate Sjøveian; Beck, Dani; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Tamnes, Christian K. & Fridman, Linn Bonaventure
(2025).
Linking pregnancy- and birth-related risk factors to a multivariate fusion of child cortical structure.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
ISSN 0027-8424.
122(25).
doi:
10.1073/pnas.2422281122.
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Pregnancy- and birth-related factors affect offspring brain development, emphasizing the importance of early life exposures. While most previous studies have focused on a few variables in isolation, here we investigated associations between a broad range of pregnancy- and birth-related variables and multivariate cortical brain MRI features. Our sample consisted of 8,396 children aged 8.9 to 11.1 y from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Through multiple correspondence analysis and factor analysis of mixed data, we distilled numerous pregnancy and birth variables into four overarching dimensions; maternal pregnancy complications, maternal substance use, low birth weight and prematurity, and newborn birth complications. Vertex-wise measures of cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and curvature were fused using linked independent component analysis. Linear mixed-effects models showed that maternal pregnancy complications and low birth weight and prematurity were associated with smaller global SA. Additionally, low birth weight and prematurity was associated with complex regional cortical patterns reflecting bidirectional variations in both SA and CT. Newborn birth complications showed multivariate patterns reflecting smaller occipital- and larger temporal area, bidirectional frontal area variations, and reduced CT across the cortex. Maternal substance use showed no associations with child cortical structure. By employing a multifactorial and multivariate morphometric fusion approach, we connected complications during pregnancy and fetal size and prematurity to global SA and specific regional signatures across child cortical MRI features.
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Philis, Curtis Edward; Miller, Jeremy K.; Buchanan, Erin M.; Williams, Amanda; Meyers, Chanel & Brown, Elizabeth R.
[Show all 50 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Multi-region investigation of ‘man’ as default in attitudes.
PLOS ONE.
20(6),
p. 1–19.
doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0323938.
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Previous research has studied the extent to which men are the default members of social groups in terms of memory, categorization, and stereotyping, but not attitudes which is critical because of attitudes’ relationship to behavior. Results from our survey (N > 5000) collected via a globally distributed laboratory network in over 40 regions demonstrated that attitudes toward Black people and politicians had a stronger relationship with attitudes toward the men rather than the women of the group. However, attitudes toward White people had a stronger relationship with attitudes toward White women than White men, whereas attitudes toward East Asian people, police officers, and criminals did not have a stronger relationship with attitudes toward either the men or women of each respective group. Regional agreement with traditional gender roles was explored as a potential moderator. These findings have implications for understanding the unique forms of prejudice women face around the world.
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Kjelkenes, Rikka; Fernandez-Cabello, Sara; Voldsbekk, Irene; Holm, Madelene Christin; Dahl, Andreas & Lofthus, Ingvild S.
[Show all 10 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Linking Psychotic-Like Experiences and Brain White Matter Microstructure in Young Women.
Brain and Behavior.
15(6),
p. 1–12.
doi:
10.1002/brb3.70587.
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Background
Psychotic-like experiences (PLE) represent a risk factor for later psychotic disorders and a marker for general mental distress. The connectivity and microstructure of key brain white matter pathways, including fronto–temporal trajectories, have been implicated in psychosis and psychosis-risk. Although sex differences in PLE prevalence and characteristics have been reported, most neuroimaging studies of PLE have primarily included mixed-sex, samples and little research has been carried out in females only. This study examines the associations between PLE and white matter characteristics in young to middle-aged females.
Methods
We analyzed cross-sectional diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and self-reported data from 661 females aged 9–44 years using the 15-item version of The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) questionnaire. Associations between CAPE subscales and other psychopathology measures were tested. Using linked independent component analysis (LICA), we decomposed the voxel-wise data from 24 dMRI metrics across five different diffusion models into 10 spatially independent components. We then examined the association between the LICA subject weights and age. Next, we tested for associations between the LICA subject weights and both CAPE total and subscales scores using Bayesian statistics.
Results
PLE were broadly associated with various domains of psychopathology and psychosocial factors. Moderate evidence emerged for an association between PLE and an LICA component reflecting a broad and complex pattern of diffusivity in major pathways, including the inferior fronto– occipital fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation, and forceps minor. The persecutory ideations subscale showed the strongest evidence of an effect.
Conclusion
PLE in young females are associated with a distinct multimodal white matter pattern reflecting microstructural characteristics in key commissural, association, and thalamocortical pathways in young females. The findings support that LICA is a valuable tool for fusing and decomposing advanced dMRI metrics to delineate white matter patterns that show sensitivity to PLE and mental distress.
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MacSweeney, Niamh; Thomson, Phoebe; Soest, Tilmann Martin von; Tamnes, Christian Krog & Rakesh, Divyangana
(2025).
The role of pubertal development in the association between trauma and internalising symptoms in female youth.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
ISSN 0021-9630.
p. 1–12.
doi:
10.1111/jcpp.14139.
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Tamnes, Christian Krog; Dahl, Andreas; Meer, Dennis van der; Agartz, Ingrid; Alnæs, Dag & Andreassen, Ole
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Relationships between wellbeing polygenic scores, brain structure, and psychopathology in children.
Personality and Individual Differences.
ISSN 0191-8869.
246.
doi:
10.1016/j.paid.2025.113313.
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Wellbeing is shaped by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors and is associated with both health and functioning. It remains unclear whether genetic influences on wellbeing are linked to brain structure and, in turn, early-life psychopathology. Here, we investigated associations between wellbeing polygenic scores (PGS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived measures of brain structure, and parent-reported measures of child psychopathology in a large cross-sectional sample of children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 8844; 8.9–11.0 years old). Preregistered analyses revealed no significant associations between wellbeing PGS and regional cortical thickness or subcortical volumes and only a small negative association with surface area of the parahippocampal cortex (β = −0.03, p = .002), while an exploratory analysis identified a small positive association with intracranial volume (ICV; β = 0.04, p < .001). Preregistered analyses showed small negative associations between wellbeing PGS and general psychopathology (β = −0.09, p < .001) and both internalizing (β = −0.09, p < .001) and externalizing problems (β = −0.07, p < .001). ICV partially mediated the relationships between wellbeing PGS and psychopathology, accounting for 1.3–3.3 % of these relationships. The findings suggest that while wellbeing PGS have limited associations with regional brain structure in children, they exhibit small protective effects against psychopathology.
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Tamnes, Christian K.; Bekkhus, Mona; Eilertsen, Maja; Nes, Ragnhild B.; Prydz, Monica Beer & Ystrom, Eivind
[Show all 63 contributors for this article]
(2024).
The nature of the relation between mental illbeing and wellbeing.
Nature Human Behaviour.
9,
p. 2431–2440.
doi:
10.31234/osf.io/9jk2x.
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Research on mental health has traditionally separated the study of illbeing—disorder and problems—and wellbeing—life satisfaction and positive affect. While previous reviews of studies primarily employing self-report scales indicate that illbeing and wellbeing are distinct yet interconnected constructs, a deeper examination of their relationship is lacking. This perspective article from the PROMENTA Research Center offers a review and synthesis of findings on the joint and distinct nature of illbeing and wellbeing across multiple levels of analysis. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, we integrate genetic, biological, developmental, psychosocial, societal, cultural, and intervention-based perspectives. Our review reveals substantial genetic overlap and some similar biological underpinnings for illbeing and wellbeing. In contrast, environmental factors and societal changes often have divergent impacts. We propose that future research should systematically assess both positive and negative aspects of mental health to discern their shared and unique determinants, predictors, mechanisms, and consequences.
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Karl, Valerie Christine; Beck, Dani; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Morawetz, Carmen; Wiker, Thea & Aksnes, Eira Ranheim
[Show all 15 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Associations between parental psychopathology and youth functional emotion regulation brain networks.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
70.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101476.
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Parental mental health is associated with children’s emotion regulation (ER) and risk for psychopathology. The relationship between parental psychopathology and children’s functional ER networks and whether connectivity patterns mediate the relationship between parent and youth psychopathology remains unexplored. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 4202, mean age = 10.0) and a multilevel approach, we analyzed the relationship between self-reported parental psychopathology and their offsprings’ connectivity of four ER networks, as well as associations with self-reported youth psychopathology at a 3-year follow-up. Parental internalizing and total problems were associated with 1) higher connectivity between a subcortical-cortical integrative and ventrolateral prefrontal cortical (PFC) network, 2) lower connectivity between dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC networks involved in cognitive aspects of ER, and 3) lower connectivity within a subcortical ER network (β = −0.05–0.04). Parental externalizing and total problems were associated with lower connectivity within the integrative network (βext = −0.05; βtot = −0.04). Mediation analyses yielded direct effects of parental to youth psychopathology, but no mediation effect of ER network connectivity. Overall, our results show that ER network connectivity in youth is related to parental psychopathology, yet do not explain intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.
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Ferschmann, Lia; Grydeland, Håkon; MacSweeney, Niamh; Beck, Dani; Bos, Marieke G.N. & Norbom, Linn Bonaventure
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2024).
The importance of timing of socioeconomic disadvantage throughout development for depressive symptoms and brain structure.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
69.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101449.
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Prior studies have reported associations between socioeconomic disadvantage, brain structure and mental health outcomes, but the timing of these relations is not well understood. Using prospective longitudinal data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), this preregistered study examined whether socioeconomic disadvantage related differentially to depressive symptoms (n=3012–3530) and cortical and subcortical structures (n=460–733) in emerging adults, depending on the timing of exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage. Family income in early childhood and own income measured concurrently were both significantly related to depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Similar results were observed for perceived financial strain. In contrast, only family income in early childhood was associated with brain structure in emerging adulthood, with positive associations with intracranial volume and total and regional cortical surface area. The findings suggest that both objective and subjective aspects of one’s financial standing throughout development relate to depressive symptoms in adulthood, but that specifically early life family income is related to brain structural features in emerging adulthood. This suggests that associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and brain structure originate early in neurodevelopment, highlighting the role of timing of socioeconomic disadvantage.
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Thijssen, Sandra; Xerxa, Yllza; Norbom, Linn Bonaventure; Cima, Maaike; Tiemeier, Henning & Tamnes, Christian Krog
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Early childhood family threat and longitudinal amygdala-mPFC circuit development: Examining cortical thickness and gray matter-white matter contrast.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
70.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101462.
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Early threat-associated cortical thinning may be interpreted as accelerated cortical development. However, non-adaptive processes may show similar macrostructural changes. Examining cortical thickness (CT) together with grey/white-matter contrast (GWC), a proxy for intracortical myelination, may enhance the interpretation of CT findings. In this prospective study, we examined associations between early life family-related threat (harsh parenting, family conflict, and neighborhood safety) and CT and GWC development from late childhood to middle adolescence. MRI was acquired from 4200 children (2069 boys) from the Generation R study at ages 8, 10 and 14 years (in total 6114 scans), of whom 1697 children had >1 scans. Linear mixed effect models were used to examine family factor-by-age interactions on amygdala volume, caudal and rostral anterior cingulate (ACC) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) CT and GWC. A neighborhood safety-by-age-interaction was found for rostral ACC GWC, suggesting less developmental change in children from unsafe neighborhoods. Moreover, after more stringent correction for motion, family conflict was associated with greater developmental change in CT but less developmental change in GWC. Results suggest that early threat may blunt ACC GWC development. Our results, therefore, do not provide evidence for accelerated threat-associated structural development of the amygdala-mPFC circuit between ages 8–14 years.
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Crestol, Arielle; Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø de; Schindler, Louise S; Subramaniapillai, Sivaniya; Nerland, Stener & Oppenheimer, Hannah
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Linking menopause-related factors, history of depression, APOE ε4, and proxies of biological aging in the UK biobank cohort.
Hormones and Behavior.
ISSN 0018-506X.
164.
doi:
10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105596.
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In a subset of females, postmenopausal status has been linked to accelerated aging and neurological decline. A complex interplay between reproductive-related factors, mental disorders, and genetics may influence brain function and accelerate the rate of aging in the postmenopausal phase. Using multiple regressions corrected for age, in this preregistered study we investigated the associations between menopause-related factors (i.e., menopausal status, menopause type, age at menopause, and reproductive span) and proxies of cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length, LTL) and brain aging (white and gray matter brain age gap, BAG) in 13,780 females from the UK Biobank (age range 39–82). We then determined how these proxies of aging were associated with each other, and evaluated the effects of menopause-related factors, history of depression (= lifetime broad depression), and APOE ε4 genotype on BAG and LTL, examining both additive and interactive relationships. We found that postmenopausal status and older age at natural menopause were linked to longer LTL and lower BAG. Surgical menopause and longer natural reproductive span were also associated with longer LTL. BAG and LTL were not significantly associated with each other. The greatest variance in each proxy of biological aging was most consistently explained by models with the addition of both lifetime broad depression and APOE ε4 genotype. Overall, this study demonstrates a complex interplay between menopause-related factors, lifetime broad depression, APOE ε4 genotype, and proxies of biological aging. However, results are potentially influenced by a disproportionate number of healthier participants among postmenopausal females. Future longitudinal studies incorporating heterogeneous samples are an essential step towards advancing female health.
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Norbom, Linn Bonaventure; Rokicki, Jaroslav; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Wiker, Thea; Hanson, Jamie & Dahl, Andreas
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Parental education and income are linked to offspring cortical brain structure and psychopathology at 9–11 years.
JCPP Advances.
4(1).
doi:
10.1002/jcv2.12220.
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Background A child's socioeconomic environment can shape central aspects of their life, including vulnerability to mental disorders. Negative environmental influences in youth may interfere with the extensive and dynamic brain development occurring at this time. Indeed, there are numerous yet diverging reports of associations between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and child cortical brain morphometry. Most of these studies have used single metric- or unimodal analyses of standard cortical morphometry that downplay the probable scenario where numerous biological pathways in sum account for SES-related cortical differences in youth. Methods To comprehensively capture such variability, using data from 9758 children aged 8.9–11.1 years from the ABCD Study®, we employed linked independent component analysis (LICA) and fused vertex-wise cortical thickness, surface area, curvature and grey-/white-matter contrast (GWC). LICA revealed 70 uni- and multimodal components. We then assessed the linear relationships between parental education, parental income and each of the cortical components, controlling for age, sex, genetic ancestry, and family relatedness. We also assessed whether cortical structure moderated the negative relationships between parental SES and child general psychopathology. Results Parental education and income were both associated with larger surface area and higher GWC globally, in addition to local increases in surface area and to a lesser extent bidirectional GWC and cortical thickness patterns. The negative relation between parental income and child psychopathology were attenuated in children with a multimodal pattern of larger frontal- and smaller occipital surface area, and lower medial occipital thickness and GWC. Conclusion Structural brain MRI is sensitive to SES diversity in childhood, with GWC emerging as a particularly relevant marker together with surface area. In low-income families, having a more developed cortex across MRI metrics, appears beneficial for mental health.
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Dahl, Andreas; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cabello, Sara Fernandez Rodriguez; Norbom, Linn B.; Tandberg, Anneli Desire & Leonardsen, Esten
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Genetic and brain similarity independently predict childhood anthropometrics and neighborhood socioeconomic conditions.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
65.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101339.
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Linking the developing brain with individual differences in clinical and demographic traits is challenging due to the substantial interindividual heterogeneity of brain anatomy and organization. Here we employ an integrative approach that parses individual differences in both cortical thickness and common genetic variants, and assess their effects on a wide set of childhood traits. The approach uses a linear mixed model framework to obtain the unique effects of each type of similarity, as well as their covariance. We employ this approach in a sample of 7760 unrelated children in the ABCD cohort baseline sample (mean age 9.9, 46.8% female). In general, associations between cortical thickness similarity and traits were limited to anthropometrics such as height, weight, and birth weight, as well as a marker of neighborhood socioeconomic conditions. Common genetic variants explained significant proportions of variance across nearly all included outcomes, although estimates were somewhat lower than previous reports. No significant covariance of the effects of genetic and cortical thickness similarity was found. The present findings highlight the connection between anthropometrics as well as neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and the developing brain, which appear to be independent from individual differences in common genetic variants in this population-based sample.
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Boer, Olga D.; Wiker, Thea; Bukhari, Shervin; Kjelkenes, Rikka; Timpe, Clara Marie Fides & Voldsbekk, Irene
[Show all 15 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
71.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101500.
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Detecting errors and adapting behavior accordingly constitutes an integral aspect of cognition. Previous studies have linked neural correlates of error processing (e.g., error-related negativity (ERN) and error-related positivity (Pe)) to task performance and broader behavioral constructs, but few studies examined how these associations manifest in adolescence. In this study, we examined neural error processing markers and their behavioral associations in an adolescent/emerging adult sample (N = 143, Mage = 18.0 years, range 11–25 years), employing a stop-signal task. Linear regressions were conducted using bootstrap resampling to explore associations between ERN/Pe peak amplitudes and latencies, stop accuracy, stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), and post-error slowing, as well as self-reported substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems. After adjusting for age and sex, smaller frontocentral Pe amplitude and later Pe latency were associated with longer SSRT, and later Pe latency was associated with lower stop accuracy. This might indicate that the Pe, which is thought to reflect conscious error processing, reflects task performance on a response inhibition task better than the ERN, which reflects subconscious error processing. After correcting for multiple testing, there were no associations between ERN/Pe parameters and substance-related or externalizing problems, and no age interactions for these associations were detected.
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Tandberg, Anneli Desire; Dahl, Andreas; Norbom, Linn Bonaventure; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Ystrøm, Eivind & Tamnes, Christian Krog
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Individual differences in internalizing symptoms in late childhood: A variance decomposition into cortical thickness, genetic and environmental differences.
Developmental Science.
ISSN 1363-755X.
27.
doi:
10.1111/desc.13537.
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The brain undergoes extensive development during late childhood and early adolescence. Cortical thinning is a prominent feature of this development, and some researchers have suggested that differences in cortical thickness may be related to internalizing symptoms, which typically increase during the same period. However, research has yielded inconclusive results. We utilized a new method that estimates the combined effect of individual differences in vertex-wise cortical thickness on internalizing symptoms. This approach allows for many small effects to be distributed across the cortex and avoids the necessity of correcting for multiple tests. Using a sample of 8763 children aged 8.9 to 11.1 from the ABCD study, we decomposed the total variation in caregiver-reported internalizing symptoms into differences in cortical thickness, additive genetics, and shared family environmental factors and unique environmental factors. Our results indicated that individual differences in cortical thickness accounted for less than 0.5% of the variation in internalizing symptoms. In contrast, the analysis revealed a substantial effect of additive genetics and family environmental factors on the different components of internalizing symptoms, ranging from 06% to 48% and from 0% to 34%, respectively. Overall, while this study found a minimal association between cortical thickness and internalizing symptoms, additive genetics, and familial environmental factors appear to be of importance for describing differences in internalizing symptoms in late childhood.
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Zhu, Yinghan; Maikusa, Norihide; Radua, Joaquim; Sämann, Philipp G.; Fusar-Poli, Paolo & Agartz, Ingrid
[Show all 82 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Using brain structural neuroimaging measures to predict psychosis onset for individuals at clinical high-risk.
Molecular Psychiatry.
ISSN 1359-4184.
29,
p. 1465–1477.
doi:
10.1038/s41380-024-02426-7.
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Machine learning approaches using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) can be informative for disease classification, although their ability to predict psychosis is largely unknown. We created a model with individuals at CHR who developed psychosis later (CHR-PS+) from healthy controls (HCs) that can differentiate each other. We also evaluated whether we could distinguish CHR-PS+ individuals from those who did not develop psychosis later (CHR-PS-) and those with uncertain follow-up status (CHR-UNK). T1-weighted structural brain MRI scans from 1165 individuals at CHR (CHR-PS+, n = 144; CHR-PS-, n = 793; and CHR-UNK, n = 228), and 1029 HCs, were obtained from 21 sites. We used ComBat to harmonize measures of subcortical volume, cortical thickness and surface area data and corrected for non-linear effects of age and sex using a general additive model. CHR-PS+ (n = 120) and HC (n = 799) data from 20 sites served as a training dataset, which we used to build a classifier. The remaining samples were used external validation datasets to evaluate classifier performance (test, independent confirmatory, and independent group [CHR-PS- and CHR-UNK] datasets). The accuracy of the classifier on the training and independent confirmatory datasets was 85% and 73% respectively. Regional cortical surface area measures-including those from the right superior frontal, right superior temporal, and bilateral insular cortices strongly contributed to classifying CHR-PS+ from HC. CHR-PS- and CHR-UNK individuals were more likely to be classified as HC compared to CHR-PS+ (classification rate to HC: CHR-PS+, 30%; CHR-PS-, 73%; CHR-UNK, 80%). We used multisite sMRI to train a classifier to predict psychosis onset in CHR individuals, and it showed promise predicting CHR-PS+ in an independent sample. The results suggest that when considering adolescent brain development, baseline MRI scans for CHR individuals may be helpful to identify their prognosis. Future prospective studies are required about whether the classifier could be actually helpful in the clinical settings.
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Ge, Ruiyang; Yu, Yuetong; Qi, Yi Xuan; Fan, Yu-nan; Chen, Shiyu & Gao, Chuntong
[Show all 33 contributors for this article]
(2024).
Normative modelling of brain morphometry across the lifespan with CentileBrain: algorithm benchmarking and model optimisation.
The Lancet Digital Health.
6(3),
p. e211–e221.
doi:
10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00250-9.
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The value of normative models in research and clinical practice relies on their robustness and a systematic comparison of different modelling algorithms and parameters; however, this has not been done to date. We aimed to identify the optimal approach for normative modelling of brain morphometric data through systematic empirical benchmarking, by quantifying the accuracy of different algorithms and identifying parameters that optimised model performance. We developed this framework with regional morphometric data from 37 407 healthy individuals (53% female and 47% male; aged 3–90 years) from 87 datasets from Europe, Australia, the USA, South Africa, and east Asia following a comparative evaluation of eight algorithms and multiple covariate combinations pertaining to image acquisition and quality, parcellation software versions, global neuroimaging measures, and longitudinal stability. The multivariate fractional polynomial regression (MFPR) emerged as the preferred algorithm, optimised with non-linear polynomials for age and linear effects of global measures as covariates. The MFPR models showed excellent accuracy across the lifespan and within distinct age-bins and longitudinal stability over a 2-year period. The performance of all MFPR models plateaued at sample sizes exceeding 3000 study participants. This model can inform about the biological and behavioural implications of deviations from typical age-related neuroanatomical changes and support future study designs. The model and scripts described here are freely available through CentileBrain.
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Karl, Valerie Christine; Engen, Haakon Gabrielsen; Beck, Dani; Norbom, Linn Bonaventure; Ferschmann, Lia & Aksnes, Eira Ranheim
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2024).
The role of functional emotion circuits in distinct dimensions of psychopathology in youth.
Translational Psychiatry.
14(1).
doi:
10.1038/s41398-024-03036-1.
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Several mental disorders emerge during childhood or adolescence and are often characterized by socioemotional difficulties, including alterations in emotion perception. Emotional facial expressions are processed in discrete functional brain modules whose connectivity patterns encode emotion categories, but the involvement of these neural circuits in psychopathology in youth is poorly understood. This study examined the associations between activation and functional connectivity patterns in emotion circuits and psychopathology during development. We used task-based fMRI data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC, N = 1221, 8–23 years) and conducted generalized psycho-physiological interaction (gPPI) analyses. Measures of psychopathology were derived from an independent component analysis of questionnaire data. The results showed positive associations between identifying fearful, sad, and angry faces and depressive symptoms, and a negative relationship between sadness recognition and positive psychosis symptoms. We found a positive main effect of depressive symptoms on BOLD activation in regions overlapping with the default mode network, while individuals reporting higher levels of norm-violating behavior exhibited emotion-specific lower functional connectivity within regions of the salience network and between modules that overlapped with the salience and default mode network. Our findings illustrate the relevance of functional connectivity patterns underlying emotion processing for behavioral problems in children and adolescents.
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Wiker, Thea; Pedersen, Mads Lund; Ferschmann, Lia; Beck, Dani; Norbom, Linn Christin Bonaventure & Dahl, Andreas
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Assessing the Longitudinal Associations Between Decision-Making Processes and Attention Problems in Early Adolescence.
Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.
ISSN 2730-7166.
52,
p. 803–817.
doi:
10.1007/s10802-023-01148-8.
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Abstract Cognitive functions and psychopathology develop in parallel in childhood and adolescence, but the temporal dynamics of their associations are poorly understood. The present study sought to elucidate the intertwined development of decision-making processes and attention problems using longitudinal data from late childhood (9–10 years) to mid-adolescence (11–13 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 8918). We utilised hierarchical drift-diffusion modelling of behavioural data from the stop-signal task, parent-reported attention problems from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and multigroup univariate and bivariate latent change score models. The results showed faster drift rate was associated with lower levels of inattention at baseline, as well as a greater reduction of inattention over time. Moreover, baseline drift rate negatively predicted change in attention problems in females, and baseline attention problems negatively predicted change in drift rate. Neither response caution (decision threshold) nor encoding- and responding processes (non-decision time) were significantly associated with attention problems. There were no significant sex differences in the associations between decision-making processes and attention problems. The study supports previous findings of reduced evidence accumulation in attention problems and additionally shows that development of this aspect of decision-making plays a role in developmental changes in attention problems in youth.
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Barth, Claudia; Tamnes, Christian Krog & Agartz, Ingrid
(2023).
Structural brain imaging in early-onset psychosis.
In Agartz, Ingrid & Smelror, Runar (Ed.),
Adolescent Psychosis: Clinical and Scientific Perspectives.
Academic Press.
ISSN 9780323898324.
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Buchanan, Erin M.; Lewis, Savannah C.; Paris, Bastien; Forscher, Patrick S.; Pavlacic, Jeffrey M. & Beshears, Julie E.
[Show all 340 contributors for this article]
(2023).
The Psychological Science Accelerator's COVID-19 rapid-response dataset.
Scientific Data.
10,
p. 1–15.
doi:
10.1038/s41597-022-01811-7.
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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data.
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Wierenga, Lara M.; Ruigrok, Amber; Aksnes, Eira Ranheim; Barth, Claudia; Beck, Dani & Burke, Sarah M.
[Show all 21 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Recommendations for a Better Understanding of Sex and Gender in the Neuroscience of Mental Health.
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
4(2).
doi:
10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.100283.
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There are prominent sex/gender differences in the prevalence, expression, and life span course of mental health and neurodiverse conditions. However, the underlying sex- and gender-related mechanisms and their interactions are still not fully understood. This lack of knowledge has harmful consequences for those with mental health problems. Therefore, we set up a cocreation session in a 1-week workshop with a multidisciplinary team of 25 researchers, clinicians, and policy makers to identify the main barriers in sex and gender research in the neuroscience of mental health. Based on this work, here we provide recommendations for methodologies, translational research, and stakeholder involvement. These include guidelines for recording, reporting, analysis beyond binary groups, and open science. Improved understanding of sex- and gender-related mechanisms in neuroscience may benefit public health because this is an important step toward precision medicine and may function as an archetype for studying diversity.
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Ferschmann, Lia; Overweg, Ingrid; Dégeilh, Fanny; Bekkhus, Mona; Havdahl, Alexandra & Soest, Tilmann Martin von
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Development of prosocial behavior and inhibitory control in late childhood: A longitudinal exploration of sex differences and reciprocal relations.
Child Development.
ISSN 0009-3920.
95(1),
p. 313–323.
doi:
10.1111/cdev.13978.
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Abstract This study examined longitudinal development of prosocial behavior, assessed by the parent‐reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire, and inhibitory control, measured by the Opposite Worlds Task, in a sample aged 9 and 12 years ( n = 9468, 49.9% girls, 85.8% White) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The goal was to assess whether the level of prosocial behavior at age 9 relates to change in inhibitory control, and vice versa. Sex differences were also explored. Latent change score models showed that low inhibitory control in boys at age 9 was associated with more decreases in prosocial behavior from 9 to 12 years of age. This may suggest that interventions targeting inhibitory control in boys may also foster their social competence.
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Voldsbekk, Irene; Kjelkenes, Rikka; Dahl, Andreas; Holm, Madelene Christin; Lund, Martina Jonette & Kaufmann, Tobias Herbert
[Show all 10 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Delineating disorder-general and disorder-specific dimensions of psychopathology from functional brain networks in a developmental clinical sample.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
62.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101271.
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The interplay between functional brain network maturation and psychopathology during development remains elusive. To establish the structure of psychopathology and its neurobiological mechanisms, mapping of both shared and unique functional connectivity patterns across developmental clinical populations is needed. We investigated shared associations between resting-state functional connectivity and psychopathology in children and adolescents aged 5–21 (n =1689). Specifically, we used partial least squares (PLS) to identify latent variables (LV) between connectivity and both symptom scores and diagnostic information. We also investigated associations between connectivity and each diagnosis specifically, controlling for other diagnosis categories. PLS identified five significant LVs between connectivity and symptoms, mapping onto the psychopathology hierarchy. The first LV resembled a general psychopathology factor, followed by dimensions of internalising- externalising, neurodevelopment, somatic complaints, and thought problems. Another PLS with diagnostic data revealed one significant LV, resembling a cross-diagnostic case-control pattern. The diagnosis-specific PLS identified a unique connectivity pattern for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). All LVs were associated with distinct patterns of functional connectivity. These dimensions largely replicated in an independent sample (n = 420) from the same dataset, as well as to an independent cohort (n =3504). This suggests that covariance in developmental functional brain networks supports transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology.
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Beck, Dani; Ferschmann, Lia; MacSweeney, Niamh; Norbom, Linn Christin Bonaventure; Wiker, Thea & Aksnes, Eira Ranheim
[Show all 15 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Puberty differentially predicts brain maturation in male and female youth: A longitudinal ABCD Study.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
61.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101261.
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Research has demonstrated associations between pubertal development and brain maturation. However, existing studies have been limited by small samples, cross-sectional designs, and inconclusive findings regarding directionality of effects and sex differences. We examined the longitudinal temporal coupling of puberty status assessed using the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based grey and white matter brain structure. Our sample consisted of 8896 children and adolescents at baseline (mean age = 9.9) and 6099 at follow-up (mean age = 11.9) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study cohort. Applying multigroup Bivariate Latent Change Score (BLCS) models, we found that baseline PDS predicted the rate of change in cortical thickness among females and rate of change in cortical surface area for both males and females. We also found a correlation between baseline PDS and surface area and co-occurring changes over time in males. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analyses revealed correlated change between PDS and fractional anisotropy (FA) for both males and females, but no significant associations for mean diffusivity (MD). Our results suggest that pubertal status predicts cortical maturation, and that the strength of the associations differ between sex. Further research spanning the entire duration of puberty is needed to understand the extent and contribution of pubertal development on the youth brain.
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Wiker, Thea; Norbom, Linn B.; Beck, Dani; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A. & Alnæs, Dag
[Show all 14 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Reaction Time Variability in Children Is Specifically Associated With Attention Problems and Regional White Matter Microstructure.
Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
ISSN 2451-9022.
8(8),
p. 832–840.
doi:
10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.03.010.
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Background Increased intraindividual variability (IIV) in reaction times (RTs) has been suggested as a key cognitive and behavioral marker of attention problems, but findings for other dimensions of psychopathology are less consistent. Moreover, while studies have linked IIV to brain white matter microstructure, large studies testing the robustness of these associations are needed. Methods We used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study baseline assessment to test the associations between IIV and psychopathology (n = 8622, age = 8.9–11.1 years) and IIV and white matter microstructure (n = 7958, age = 8.9–11.1 years). IIV was investigated using an ex-Gaussian distribution analysis of RTs in correct response go trials in the stop signal task. Psychopathology was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist and a bifactor structural equation model was performed to extract a general p factor and specific factors reflecting internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. To investigate white matter microstructure, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were examined in 23 atlas-based tracts. Results Increased IIV in both short and long RTs was positively associated with the specific attention problems factor (Cohen’s d = 0.13 and d = 0.15, respectively). Increased IIV in long RTs was also positively associated with radial diffusivity in the left and right corticospinal tract (both tracts, d = 0.12). Conclusions Using a large sample and a data-driven dimensional approach to psychopathology, the results provide novel evidence for a small but specific association between IIV and attention problems in children and support previous findings on the relevance of white matter microstructure for IIV.
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Voldsbekk, Irene; Kjelkenes, Rikka; Wolfers, Thomas; Dahl, Andreas; Lund, Martina Jonette & Kaufmann, Tobias
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Shared pattern of impaired social communication and cognitive ability in the youth brain across diagnostic boundaries.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
60.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101219.
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Background Abnormalities in brain structure are shared across diagnostic categories. Given the high rate of comorbidity, the interplay of relevant behavioural factors may also cross these classic boundaries. Methods We aimed to detect brain-based dimensions of behavioural factors using canonical correlation and independent component analysis in a clinical youth sample (n = 1732, 64 % male, age: 5–21 years). Results We identified two correlated patterns of brain structure and behavioural factors. The first mode reflected physical and cognitive maturation (r = 0.92, p = .005). The second mode reflected lower cognitive ability, poorer social skills, and psychological difficulties (r = 0.92, p = .006). Elevated scores on the second mode were a common feature across all diagnostic boundaries and linked to the number of comorbid diagnoses independently of age. Critically, this brain pattern predicted normative cognitive deviations in an independent population-based sample (n = 1253, 54 % female, age: 8–21 years), supporting the generalisability and external validity of the reported brain-behaviour relationships. Conclusions These results reveal dimensions of brain-behaviour associations across diagnostic boundaries, highlighting potent disorder-general patterns as the most prominent. In addition to providing biologically informed patterns of relevant behavioural factors for mental illness, this contributes to a growing body of evidence in favour of transdiagnostic approaches to prevention and intervention.
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Lindseth, Linn Renate Sjøveian; Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø de; Meer, Dennis van der; Agartz, Ingrid; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Tamnes, Christian Krog
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Associations between reproductive history, hormone use, APOE ε4 genotype and cognition in middle- to older-aged women from the UK Biobank.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
14:1014605,
p. 1–13.
doi:
10.3389/fnagi.2022.1014605.
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Introduction: Relative to men, women are at a higher risk of developing age-related neurocognitive disorders including Alzheimer’s disease. While women’s health has historically been understudied, emerging evidence suggests that reproductive life events such as pregnancy and hormone use may influence women’s cognition later in life.
Methods: We investigated the associations between reproductive history, exogenous hormone use, apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 genotype and cognition in 221,124 middle- to older-aged (mean age 56.2 ± 8.0 years) women from the UK Biobank. Performance on six cognitive tasks was assessed, covering four cognitive domains: episodic visual memory, numeric working memory, processing speed, and executive function.
Results: A longer reproductive span, older age at menopause, older age at first and last birth, and use of hormonal contraceptives were positively associated with cognitive performance later in life. Number of live births, hysterectomy without oophorectomy and use of hormone therapy showed mixed findings, with task-specific positive and negative associations. Effect sizes were generally small (Cohen’s d < 0.1). While APOE ε4 genotype was associated with reduced processing speed and executive functioning, in a dose-dependent manner, it did not influence the observed associations between female-specific factors and cognition.
Discussion: Our findings support previous evidence of associations between a broad range of female-specific factors and cognition. The positive association between a history of hormonal contraceptive use and cognition later in life showed the largest effect sizes (max. d = 0.1). More research targeting the long-term effects of female-specific factors on cognition and age-related neurocognitive disorders including Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for a better understanding of women’s brain health and to support women’s health care.
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Kjelkenes, Rikka; Wolfers, Thomas; Alnæs, Dag; Meer, Dennis van der; Pedersen, Mads Lund & Dahl, Andreas
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Mapping Normative Trajectories of Cognitive Function and Its Relation to Psychopathology Symptoms and Genetic Risk in Youth.
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
3(2),
p. 255–263.
doi:
10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.01.007.
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Background Adolescence hosts a sharp increase in the incidence of mental disorders. The prodromal phases are often characterized by cognitive deficits that predate disease onset by several years. Characterization of cognitive performance in relation to normative trajectories may have value for early risk assessment and monitoring. Methods Youth aged 8 to 21 years (N = 6481) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort were included. Performance scores from a computerized neurocognitive battery were decomposed using principal component analysis, yielding a general cognitive score. Items reflecting various aspects of psychopathology from self-report questionnaires and collateral caregiver information were decomposed using independent component analysis, providing individual domain scores. Using normative modeling and Bayesian statistics, we estimated normative trajectories of cognitive function and tested for associations between cognitive deviance and psychopathological domain scores. In addition, we tested for associations with polygenic scores for mental and behavioral disorders often involving cognition, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. Results More negative normative cognitive deviations were associated with higher general psychopathology burden and domains reflecting positive and prodromal psychosis, attention problems, norm-violating behavior, and anxiety. In addition, better performance was associated with higher joint burden of depression, suicidal ideation, and negative psychosis symptoms. The analyses revealed no evidence for associations with polygenic scores. Conclusions Our results show that cognitive performance is associated with general and specific domains of psychopathology in youth. These findings support the close links between cognition and psychopathology in youth and highlight the potential of normative modeling for early risk assessment.
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Ferschmann, Lia; Bos, Marieke G.N.; Herting, Megan M.; Mills, Kathryn L. & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2022).
Contextualizing adolescent structural brain development:Environmental determinants and mental health outcomes.
Current Opinion in Psychology.
ISSN 2352-250X.
44,
p. 170–176.
doi:
10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.09.014.
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The spatiotemporal group-level patterns of brain macrostructural development are relatively well-documented. Current research emphasizes individual variability in brain development, including its causes and consequences. Although genetic factors and prenatal and perinatal events play critical roles, calls are now made to also study brain development in transactional interplay with the different aspects of an individual's physical and social environment. Such focus is highly relevant for research on adolescence, a period involving a multitude of contextual changes paralleled by continued refinement of complex cognitive and affective neural systems. Here, we discuss associations between selected aspects of an individual's physical and social environment and adolescent brain structural development and possible links to mental health. We also touch on methodological considerations for future research.
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Baldwin, Helen; Radua, Joaquim; Antoniades, Mathilde; Haas, Shalaila S.; Frangou, Sophia & Agartz, Ingrid
[Show all 111 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Neuroanatomical heterogeneity and homogeneity in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis.
Translational Psychiatry.
12(297).
doi:
10.1038/s41398-022-02057-y.
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Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) demonstrate heterogeneity in clinical profiles and outcome features. However, the extent of neuroanatomical heterogeneity in the CHR-P state is largely undetermined. We aimed to quantify the neuroanatomical heterogeneity in structural magnetic resonance imaging measures of cortical surface area (SA), cortical thickness (CT), subcortical volume (SV), and intracranial volume (ICV) in CHR-P individuals compared with healthy controls (HC), and in relation to subsequent transition to a first episode of psychosis. The ENIGMA CHR-P consortium applied a harmonised analysis to neuroimaging data across 29 international sites, including 1579 CHR-P individuals and 1243 HC, offering the largest pooled CHR-P neuroimaging dataset to date. Regional heterogeneity was indexed with the Variability Ratio (VR) and Coefficient of Variation (CV) ratio applied at the group level. Personalised estimates of heterogeneity of SA, CT and SV brain profiles were indexed with the novel Person-Based Similarity Index (PBSI), with two complementary applications. First, to assess the extent of within-diagnosis similarity or divergence of neuroanatomical profiles between individuals. Second, using a normative modelling approach, to assess the ‘normativeness’ of neuroanatomical profiles in individuals at CHR-P. CHR-P individuals demonstrated no greater regional heterogeneity after applying FDR corrections. However, PBSI scores indicated significantly greater neuroanatomical divergence in global SA, CT and SV profiles in CHR-P individuals compared with HC. Normative PBSI analysis identified 11 CHR-P individuals (0.70%) with marked deviation (>1.5 SD) in SA, 118 (7.47%) in CT and 161 (10.20%) in SV. Psychosis transition was not significantly associated with any measure of heterogeneity. Overall, our examination of neuroanatomical heterogeneity within the CHR-P state indicated greater divergence in neuroanatomical profiles at an individual level, irrespective of psychosis conversion. Further large-scale investigations are required of those who demonstrate marked deviation.
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Norbom, Linn Christin Bonaventure; Hanson, Jamie; Meer, Dennis van der; Ferschmann, Lia; Røysamb, Espen & Soest, Tilmann von
[Show all 10 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Parental socioeconomic status is linked to cortical microstructure and language abilities in children and adolescents.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
56.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101132.
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Gradients in parental socioeconomic status (SES) are closely linked to important life outcomes in children and adolescents, such as cognitive abilities, school achievement, and mental health. Parental SES may also influence brain development, with several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies reporting associations with youth brain morphometry. However, MRI signal intensity metrics have not been assessed, but could offer a microstructural correlate, thereby increasing our understanding of SES influences on neurobiology. We computed a parental SES score from family income, parental education and parental occupation, and assessed relations with cortical microstructure as measured by T1w/T2w ratio (n = 504, age = 3–21 years). We found negative age-stabile relations between parental SES and T1w/T2w ratio, indicating that youths from lower SES families have higher ratio in widespread frontal, temporal, medial parietal and occipital regions, possibly indicating a more developed cortex. Effect sizes were small, but larger than for conventional morphometric properties i.e. cortical surface area and thickness, which were not significantly associated with parental SES. Youths from lower SES families had poorer language related abilities, but microstructural differences did not mediate these relations. T1w/T2w ratio appears to be a sensitive imaging marker for further exploring the association between parental SES and child brain development.
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Legate, Nicole; Nguyen, Thuy-vy; Weinstein, Netta; Moller, Arlen C; Legault, Lisa & Vally, Zahir
[Show all 50 contributors for this article]
(2022).
A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
ISSN 0027-8424.
119(22).
doi:
10.1073/pnas.2111091119.
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Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges.
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Kjelkenes, Rikka; Wolfers, Thomas; Alnæs, Dag; Norbom, Linn Christin Bonaventure; Voldsbekk, Irene & Holm, Madelene Christin
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Deviations from normative brain white and gray matter structure are associated with psychopathology in youth.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
58.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101173.
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Combining imaging modalities and metrics that are sensitive to various aspects of brain structure and maturation may help identify individuals that show deviations in relation to same-aged peers, and thus benefit early-risk-assessment for mental disorders. We used one timepoint multimodal brain imaging, cognitive, and questionnaire data from 1280 eight- to twenty-one-year-olds from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. We estimated age-related gray and white matter properties and estimated individual deviation scores using normative modeling. Next, we tested for associations between the estimated deviation scores, and with psychopathology domain scores and cognition. More negative deviations in DTI-based fractional anisotropy (FA) and the first principal eigenvalue of the diffusion tensor (L1) were associated with higher scores on psychosis positive and prodromal symptoms and general psychopathology. A more negative deviation in cortical thickness (CT) was associated with a higher general psychopathology score. Negative deviations in global FA, surface area, L1 and CT were also associated with poorer cognitive performance. No robust associations were found between the deviation scores based on CT and DTI. The low correlations between the different multimodal magnetic resonance imaging-based deviation scores suggest that psychopathological burden in adolescence can be mapped onto partly distinct neurobiological features.
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Bøen, Rune; Quintana, Daniel; Ladouceur, Cecile D. & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2022).
Age-related differences in the error-related negativity and error positivity in children and adolescents are moderated by sample and methodological characteristics: A meta-analysis.
Psychophysiology.
ISSN 0048-5772.
59(6).
doi:
10.1111/psyp.14003.
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The error- related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) are electrophysi-ological components associated with error processing that are thought to exhibit distinctive developmental trajectories from childhood to adulthood. To investi-gate the age and age moderation effects on the ERN and the Pe strength during development, we conducted a preregistered three- level meta- analysis synthe-sizing 120 and 41 effect sizes across 18 group comparison studies and 19 cor-relational studies, respectively. The meta- analysis included studies with mean age between 3.6 and 28.7 (min- max age range: 3.5 and 49.8) years for age- group comparisons and 6.1 to 18.7 (min- max age range: 4.0– 35.7) years for age cor-relations. Results showed that age was associated with a more negative ERN (SMD = −.433, r = −.230). No statistically significant association between age and the Pe was found (SMD = .059, r = −.091), except for in a group comparison between younger and older adolescents. The age effects were not significantly moderated by whether a Flanker or a Go/No- Go task was used, whereas a proba-bilistic learning task moderated the age effect on the Pe. Moreover, the Fz and Cz electrode sites yielded stronger negative associations between age and the ERN and the Pe, respectively. The results confirm that the ERN and the Pe show differential development courses and suggest that sample and methodological characteristics influence the age effects, and lay the foundation for investigations of developmental patterns of the ERN and the Pe in relation to psychopathology and early genetic and environmental risk factors.
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Tamnes, Christian Krog & Ferschmann, Lia
(2022).
Ungdommers atferd og hjerneutvikling.
In Lundgren, Charlotte (Eds.),
Psykisk oppvekst. Barn og unges psykiske helse fra 0-25 år.
Rådet for psykisk helse.
ISSN 9788291635460.
p. 50–57.
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Frangou, Sophia; Modabbernia, Amirhossein; Williams, Steven C. R.; Papachristou, Efstathios; Doucet, Gaëlle E. & Agartz, Ingrid
[Show all 63 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Cortical thickness across the lifespan: Data from 17,075 healthy individuals aged 3-90 years.
Human Brain Mapping.
ISSN 1065-9471.
43(1),
p. 431–451.
doi:
10.1002/hbm.25364.
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Delineating the association of age and cortical thickness in healthy individuals is critical given the association of cortical thickness with cognition and behavior. Previous research has shown that robust estimates of the association between age and brain morphometry require large-scale studies. In response, we used cross-sectional data from 17,075 individuals aged 3–90 years from the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to infer age-related changes in cortical thickness. We used fractional polynomial (FP) regression to quantify the association between age and cortical thickness, and we computed normalized growth centiles using the parametric Lambda, Mu, and Sigma method. Interindividual variability was estimated using meta-analysis and one-way analysis of variance. For most regions, their highest cortical thickness value was observed in childhood. Age and cortical thickness showed a negative association; the slope was steeper up to the third decade of life and more gradual thereafter; notable exceptions to this general pattern were entorhinal, temporopolar, and anterior cingulate cortices. Interindividual variability was largest in temporal and frontal regions across the lifespan. Age and its FP combinations explained up to 59% variance in cortical thickness. These results may form the basis of further investigation on normative deviation in cortical thickness and its significance for behavioral and cognitive outcomes.
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Dima, Danai; Modabbernia, Amirhossein; Papachristou, Efstathios; Doucet, Gaëlle E.; Agartz, Ingrid & Aghajani, Moji
[Show all 52 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Subcortical volumes across the lifespan: Data from 18,605 healthy individuals aged 3–90 years.
Human Brain Mapping.
ISSN 1065-9471.
43(1),
p. 452–469.
doi:
10.1002/hbm.25320.
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Age has a major effect on brain volume. However, the normative studies available are constrained by small sample sizes, restricted age coverage and significant methodological variability. These limitations introduce inconsistencies and may obscure or distort the lifespan trajectories of brain morphometry. In response, we capitalized on the resources of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to examine age-related trajectories inferred from cross-sectional measures of the ventricles, the basal ganglia (caudate, putamen, pallidum, and nucleus accumbens), the thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala using magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 18,605 individuals aged 3–90 years. All subcortical structure volumes were at their maximum value early in life. The volume of the basal ganglia showed a monotonic negative association with age thereafter; there was no significant association between age and the volumes of the thalamus, amygdala and the hippocampus (with some degree of decline in thalamus) until the sixth decade of life after which they also showed a steep negative association with age. The lateral ventricles showed continuous enlargement throughout the lifespan. Age was positively associated with inter-individual variability in the hippocampus and amygdala and the lateral ventricles. These results were robust to potential confounders and could be used to examine the functional significance of deviations from typical age-related morphometric patterns.
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Bølstad, Evalill; Havighurst, Sophie S.; Tamnes, Christian K.; Nygaard, Egil; Bjørk, Rune Flaaten & Stavrinou, Maria
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2021).
A Pilot Study of a Parent Emotion Socialization Intervention: Impact on Parent Behavior, Child Self-Regulation, and Adjustment.
Frontiers in Psychology.
12,
p. 1–15.
doi:
10.3389/fpsyg.2021.730278.
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Adequate emotion regulation in children is crucial for healthy development and is influenced by parent emotion socialization. The current pilot study aimed to test, for the first time in a Scandinavian population, whether an emotion-focused intervention, Tuning in to Kids (TIK), had positive effects on parent emotion-related socialization behaviors (ERSBs), and children's self-regulation, anxiety, and externalizing behavior problems. We conducted a controlled trial of the 6-week evidence-based TIK parenting program with 20 parents of preschool children aged 5–6 years and 19 wait-list controls. Assessments at baseline and 6 months after the intervention included parent-report questionnaires on parent ERSBs and child adjustment, as well as aspects of children's self-regulation assessed with two behavioral tasks, the Emotional Go/No-Go task (EGNG) and the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT). Results showed a significant increase in reported parent emotion coaching behavior and an uncorrected significant decrease in parents' report of child externalizing problems in intervention participants compared to controls. The behavioral data showed an uncorrected significant improvement in child emotion discrimination in the control condition compared to the intervention condition, while measures of children's executive control improved from baseline to follow-up for both conditions but were not significantly different between conditions. These findings suggest that this emotion-focused parenting intervention contributed to improvement in parents' emotion coaching and their appraisal of child externalizing problems, while children's self-regulation showed mainly normative developmental improvements. Further research with a larger sample will be the next step to determine if these pilot findings are seen in an adequately powered study.
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Nyvold, Otelie; Nygaard, Egil; Augusti, Else-Marie & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2021).
Unity or diversity of executive functioning in children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Child Neuropsychology: A Journal of Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence.
ISSN 0929-7049.
28,
p. 374–393.
doi:
10.1080/09297049.2021.1979950.
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For some children, psychological reactions to a traumatic event develop into severe or persistent post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or the clinical condition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive problems in children with PTSS have been reported, but it is not clear which specific functions are affected. Executive functions is a domain of particular interest, given its importance for academic performance and social and emotional functioning. A systematic literature search was performed, and 12 studies with 55 comparisons of executive functions in children with PTSS and healthy controls were eligible for meta-analysis. A subset of the studies also included a comparison group of children with traumatic experienced but without PTSS. Overall, across all tasks and measures, children with PTSS showed lower executive functioning than healthy controls (SMD = −0.57). The effect sizes between the subdomains complex tasks, verbal fluency, inhibition, shifting and working memory were not significantly different from each other, but was largest for verbal fluency (SMD = −1.45). Analyses comparing children with traumatic experiences with and without PTSS similarly showed overall lower executive functioning in the PTSS group (SMD = −0.34) and no significant differences in effect sizes between subdomains. The results have implications for assessment and clinical work with youth exposed to traumatic events. We should be aware of the poor executive functioning that may be an issue for some children with a history of trauma and subsequent development of PTSS, and the impact this could have on everyday functioning.
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Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2025).
Consistency is key - Reaction time variability as a marker of neurocognitive development and attention problems.
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Do, Kathy T.; Groep, Suzanne van de; Crone, Eveline A. & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2025).
A developmental neuroscience perspective on youth contributions and challenges in a changing society.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101558.
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Norbom, Linn Christin Bonaventure; Hanson, Jamie; Meer, Dennis van der; Ferschmann, Lia; Røysamb, Espen & Soest, Tilmann von
[Show all 10 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Erratum to “Parental socioeconomic status is linked to cortical microstructure and language abilities in children and adolescents” [Dev. Cogn. Neurosci. 56C (2022) 101132] (Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (2022) 56, (S1878929322000755), (10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101132)).
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
ISSN 1878-9293.
61.
doi:
10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101225.
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Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2023).
Barns hjerner kan endres av skjermbruk, ifølge ny samlestudie.
[Internet].
Forskning.no.
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Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2023).
Hjernen forandret seg da alkoholavhengige sluttet å drikke.
[Internet].
Forskning.no.
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Beck, Dani; Whitmore, Lucy; MacSweeney, Niamh; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Mills, Kathryn L. & Tamnes, Christian Krog
(2023).
Associations between early life trauma and gray and white matter brain age during childhood and adolescence.
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Richie-Halford, Adam; Cieslak, Matthew; Ai, Lei; Caffarra, Sendy; Covitz, Sydney & Franco, Alexandre R.
[Show all 121 contributors for this article]
(2023).
Author Correction: An analysis-ready and quality controlled resource for pediatric brain white-matter research (Scientific Data, (2022), 9, 1, (616), 10.1038/s41597-022-01695-7).
Scientific Data.
10(1).
doi:
10.1038/s41597-023-02137-8.
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Published
Apr. 18, 2011 2:42 PM
- Last modified
Oct. 17, 2023 11:21 AM
