1-032 - Neural Mechanisms of Psychopathology in Early Childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Early intervention and prevention programs are more effective and less costly than later efforts in treating psychopathology. For early interventions to target those at greatest risk most effectively, better understanding of the early mechanisms in the development of psychopathology is necessary. To this aim, the studies in this symposium focus on neural processes in the development of psychopathology in early childhood.

The studies concern distinct yet related forms of psychopathology (internalizing and externalizing problems) using multiple methods (EEG, ERP, cortisol assays) and designs (cross-sectional and longitudinal). The studies identify aspects of brain functioning linked to adjustment, including frontal-parietal coherence (anxiety, Study 1) and inefficient neural attentional processing (externalizing problems, Study 2), and also examine broader biological systems (neuroendocrine processes, Study 3) and early risk factors (prenatal cocaine exposure, Study 4) in the development of psychopathology. The studies examine underlying dimensions of psychopathology, such as emotion regulation, executive functioning, and attentional processing, consistent with the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Many of the studies include longitudinal designs, which are exceedingly rare in the developmental neurophysiological literature, making the symposium highly innovative and ideally positioned to address mechanistic questions in the development of psychopathology. Several of the studies even report replicated findings, reducing the likelihood of Type I error. Collectively, these studies use multiple methods, designs, and ages to improve our understanding of neural mechanisms in the development of psychopathology in early childhood. This may promote more targeted and cost-effective early treatment and preventive interventions for psychopathology.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Isaac T. Petersen, Indiana University, Bloomington

Individual Presentations

• Frontal-Parietal Network during Infancy and Risk for Anxiety in Early Childhood - Presenting Author: Martha Ann Bell, Virginia Tech

• Neurophysiology of Externalizing Behavior Problems in Young Children - Presenting Author: Isaac T. Petersen, Indiana University, Bloomington; Caroline P. Hoyniak, Indiana University; Angela D Staples, University of Virginia; John E Bates, Indiana University, Bloomington; Dennis L Molfese, Univ of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Convergence of Neural and Neuroendocrine Measures of Risk for Anxiety Problems in Infancy and Early Childhood - Presenting Author: Rebecca J Brooker, Montana State University-Bozeman; Kristin A Buss, Pennsylvania State University; Richard J Davidson, Univ of Wisconsin; H Hill Goldsmith, Univ of Wisconsin-Madison

• Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Impacts Neurocognitive Functioning in Early Adolescents - Presenting Author: Dennis L Molfese, Univ of Nebraska-Lincoln; Linda C Mayes, Yale Univ Schl of Medicine; Amanda Prokasky, University of Nebraska - Lincoln