Abstract
This study systematically tested the hypothesis that during the critical developmental period of adolescence, in macroscale, an individual’s concentration of major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters (glutamate/glutamine and γ‐Aminobutyric Acid [GABA]) in dorsal and ventral lateral prefrontal cortex are associated with the brain’s functional connectivity and the individual’s psychopathology. Neurotransmitters were measured via magnetic resonance spectroscopy while functional connectivity was measured with resting-state fMRI (N=121). Seed-based and network-based analyses revealed associations of neurotransmitter concentrations and functional connectivities between regions/networks that are connected to prefrontal cortices via structural connections that are thought to be under dynamic development during adolescence.
| These regions tend to be at boundary areas between functional networks. Furthermore, several connectivities were found to be associated with individuals’ levels of internalizing psychopathology. These findings provide insights into specific neurochemical mechanisms underlying the brain’s macroscale functional organization, its development during adolescence and its potential associations with symptoms associated with internalizing psychopathology. |