Elucidating the impact of socio-economic status (SES) and environmental factors on cognitive and brain development is critical for understanding the pathways to substance abuse during adolescence. Previous studies suggest that low SES can negatively impact cognitive functioning as well as brain maturation. This proposal aims to examine the impact of SES on cognitive function and brain development in the current ABCD study data release of ~4500 children, ages 9 and 10 years of age. Further, environmental factors of tobacco smoke exposure and bilingualism will be examined. These environmental factors often co-occur with low SES demographics and examining their contributions to cognitive function and brain development may inform the extent to which cognitive function and the brain is impacted by environmental factors during childhood. The ABCD study dataset has many notable strengths, including the availability of various cognitive and brain imaging measures, and a large sample size. In addition, the narrow age range, makes it less likely that differences in cognitive function and brain development will be due to differences in generations between children in wider age groups. The analyses proposed in this supplement will capitalize on the strengths of the ABCD sample to test hypotheses that will inform the relationship between environment, cognition, and the brain. Findings from this proposal will form the basis for future analyses that examine the relationships between substance use and cognitive function and brain development during adolescence, as well as understanding the contribution of environmental factors to such relationships.
This diversity supplement proposal is for Dr. Gonzalez to investigate critical questions proposed under the specific aims of the ABCD-CHLA study. Dr. Gonzalez will investigate the impact of SES, tobacco smoke exposure, and bilingualism on cognitive function and brain development within the ABCD sample of ~4500 children ages 9 and 10 years of age. Findings from the proposed analyses will elucidate the relationships between environmental factors, such as SES, tobacco smoke exposure, and bilingualism and brain development and cognitive function during childhood.
| Zucker, Robert A; Gonzalez, Raul; Feldstein Ewing, Sarah W et al. (2018) Assessment of culture and environment in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study: Rationale, description of measures, and early data. Dev Cogn Neurosci 32:107-120 |
| Clark, Duncan B; Fisher, Celia B; Bookheimer, Susan et al. (2018) Biomedical ethics and clinical oversight in multisite observational neuroimaging studies with children and adolescents: The ABCD experience. Dev Cogn Neurosci 32:143-154 |
| Walsh, Jeremy J; Barnes, Joel D; Cameron, Jameason D et al. (2018) Associations between 24 hour movement behaviours and global cognition in US children: a cross-sectional observational study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2:783-791 |
