Characterizing the dimensional structure of early-life adversity in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

Abstract

Increasing evidence suggests that different dimensions of early-life adversity may be associated with unique neurodevelopmental mechanisms and behavioral outcomes. We sought to characterize the underlying dimensional structure of co-occurring adverse experiences among a subset of youth (ages 9-10) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 7,115), a community sample of youth in the United States. We identified 60 environmental and experiential variables that reflect adverse experiences. Exploratory factor analysis identified 10 early-life adversity dimensions of co-occurrence, corresponding to conceptual domains such as caregiver substance use and biological caregiver separation, caregiver psychopathology, caregiver lack of support, and socioeconomic disadvantage / neighborhood lack of safety. These dimensions demonstrated distinct associations with internalizing problems, externalizing problems, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Non-metric multidimensional scaling characterized qualitative similarity among the 10 identified dimensions. Results supported a nonlinear three-dimensional structure representing early-life adversity, including continuous gradients of “perspective”, “environmental uncertainty”, and “acts of omission/commission”. Our findings suggest that there are distinct dimensions of early-life adversity in the ABCD sample at baseline, and the resulting dimensions may have unique implications for neurodevelopment and youth behavior.

Dimensions of early life adversity are differentially associated with patterns of delayed and accelerated brain maturation

“…The current study utilised 10 previously obtained factor scores from 60 measures of early-life adversity (ELA) as detailed in (34). Briefly, Brieant and colleagues identified 139 potential ELA items from the ABCD Study baseline measures, which encompass a spectrum of ELA constructs including caregiving disruption, caregiver psychopathology, maltreatment, neighbourhood safety/violence, among others.…”

“…Building on data driven methods applied in Brieant et al (2023), the current study benefitted from ELA dimensions accounting for more variability in ELA patterns and a dimensional structure replicated in an independent sample, suggesting some stability. The current study utilised three estimates of brain age based on different MRI modalities in an attempt to capture potentially tissue-specific effects of ELA dimensions.…”

“…This manuscript has been posted on the preprint server bioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.22.576780v1. We thank the coauthors of Brieant et al (2023) for their contributions to the development of the factor scores used in this paper (Anna Vannucci, Hajer Nakua, Jenny Harris, Jack Lovell, Divya Brundavanam, Nim Tottenham, and Dylan Gee).…”

“…To this end, using ABCD data, our primary aim was to test for associations between MRI-based estimates of brain maturation and 10 previously characterised dimensions of ELA co-occurrence (34). Based on theoretical accounts and the empirical studies reviewed above, we hypothesised ELA dimensions of 1) caregiver psychopathology, 2) socioeconomic disadvantage and lack of neighbourhood safety, 5) child report of family conflict, 6)…”

“…To this end, using ABCD data, our primary aim was to test for associations between MRI-based estimates of brain maturation and 10 previously characterised dimensions of ELA co-occurrence (34). Based on theoretical accounts and the empirical studies reviewed above, we hypothesised ELA dimensions of 1) caregiver psychopathology, 2) socioeconomic disadvantage and lack of neighbourhood safety, 5) child report of family conflict, 6) caregiver substance use and biological parent separation, 7) family anger and arguments, 8) family aggression, and 9) trauma to be associated with older-looking brains and accelerated maturation between the two time points.…”