Delineating disorder-general and disorder-specific dimensions of psychopathology from functional brain networks in a developmental clinical sample

Irene Voldsbekk; Rikka Kjelkenes; Andreas Dahl; Madelene C Holm; Martina J Lund; Tobias Kaufmann; Christian K Tamnes; Ole A Andreassen; Lars T Westlye; Dag Alnæs

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101271

Delineating disorder-general and disorder-specific dimensions of psychopathology from functional brain networks in a developmental clinical sample

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2023 Aug:62:101271. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101271. Epub 2023 Jun 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: irene.voldsbekk@psykologi.uio.no.
² Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
³ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany.
⁵ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, & Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, & Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁸ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Brain; Developmental; Functional connectivity; Multivariate; Psychopathology.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Brain
Brain Mapping* / methods
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Psychopathology
Young Adult