Abstract/Summary:
Attention deficit (AD) is a reported concern across mental health and neurological disorders. It exists as an extreme
condition of a continuously distributed trait in the general population. AD as a key component of ADHD is often associated
with impairments in multiple neurocognitive domains, particularly in attention/vigilance, working memory, processing
speed, and response variability. To date, most investigations on AD focus on frontal-parietal circuity, and less is known
about the frontal-thalamo-cerebellar circuitry (FCC) relates to AD. To extend our knowledge on neural mechanisms of AD,
this study aims to delineate FCC alteration in relation to neurocognition and AD symptoms, leveraging longitudinal brain
imaging data, genomics, neurocognition, environmental data in ABCD cohort. First, in Aim 1 we will apply advanced deep
learning algorithms to model the relationship between multimodal brain image data in FCC (gray matter, white matter, rest
state fMRI functional connectivity, and emotional N-back task fMRI activation) and neurocognitive measures in the four
domains (attention/vigilance, working memory, processing speed, and response variability) at baseline. And then we will
apply the transfer learning techniques to the latent neuroimaging features underlying neurocognition to estimate AD. Then,
in Aim 2 we will focus on the relation between longitudinal changes of FCC neuroimaging features and the changes in
neurocognition and AD in two years. We will apply advanced machine learning methods just as in Aim 1 to identify FCC
dynamic features underlying longitudinal changes in neurocognition, and then transfer to AD. AD symptoms and symptom
changes are also affected by genetic profiles and environmental factors. In Aim 3 we will apply multivariate data mining
algorithms to extract genetic factors associated with FCC neuroimaging features, and build a prediction model for AD and
changes of AD using genetic factors extracted, social demographic and environmental factors, in addition to FCC
multimodal neuroimaging features. Lastly, in Aim 4 we will validate the FCC-genetic-environmental-AD model using Year
4 follow up data in ABCD cohort and validate the FCC-genetic-AD model using an independent PNC cohort. The findings
from this study will specify alterations in crucial regions of FCC underlying each neurocognition domain and contribution
of each neurocognition domain to AD symptoms mediated by FCC neuronal features. Brain, gene, and environmental model
of AD will help identify a subpopulation with risk for AD due to FCC alterations in the general population, and help specify
patients across the boundaries of mental disorders who are risk for worsening AD due to FCC abnormalities.