Demographic, physical and mental health assessments in the adolescent brain and cognitive development study: Rationale and description

Abstract

The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study incorporates a comprehensive range of measures assessing predictors and outcomes related to both mental and physical health across childhood and adolescence. The workgroup developed a battery that would assess a comprehensive range of domains that address study aims while minimizing participant and family burden. We review the major considerations that went into deciding what constructs to cover in the demographics, physical health and mental health domains, as well as the process of selecting measures, piloting and refining the originally proposed battery. We present a description of the baseline battery, as well as the six-month interim assessments and the one-year follow-up assessments. This battery includes assessments from the perspectives of both the parent and the target youth, as well as teacher reports. This battery will provide a foundational baseline assessment of the youth's current function so as to permit characterization of stability and change in key domains over time. The findings from this battery will also be utilized to identify both resilience markers that predict healthy development and risk factors for later adverse outcomes in physical health, mental health, and substance use and abuse.

Delineating and validating higher-order dimensions of psychopathology in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study

“…For validation, we examined key risk factors, functioning measures, and service use variables: history of developmental motor and speech delays, 38 conflict within the family, social peer functioning (number of friends), academic functioning (school connectedness, average grades), 44 cognitive functioning (crystalized and fluid intelligence composites from the National Institute of Health Toolbox), 39 utilization of physical and mental health services, and current use of medications. 38…”

Meta‐analysis of aberrant post‐error slowing in substance use disorder: implications for behavioral adaptation and self‐control

“…Future research in adolescents and young adults is needed to resolve these competing hypotheses (Heitzeg et al, 2015;Moeller et al, 2016a). The recently initiated Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) multisite longitudinal study could prove instrumental in this effort (Barch et al, 2017).…”

Economic, social, and physiological resilience predict brain structure and cognitive performance in 9 - 10-year-old children

“…For detailed information for each specific variable name and transformation, as well as missing and excluded values, see supplementary table 1. A detailed description of the ABCD baseline protocol and rationale for inclusion of measures on demographics, culture and environment have been reported previously 33,34 .…”