Media Advisory

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Neighborhood conditions associated with children’s cognitive function

NIH-funded research from ABCD Study finds association despite household income.

What

A study published today in JAMA Network Open shows that children from poorer neighborhoods perform less well on a range of cognitive functions, such as verbal ability, reading skills, memory, and attention, and have smaller brain volumes in key cognitive regions compared to those from wealthier neighborhoods.

While multiple studies have shown that household socioeconomic status affects a child’s cognitive development, less is known about the effect of the broader neighborhood context. By revealing a role that the neighborhood environment may play in shaping brain development,  research findings can inform interventions aimed at improving outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and nine other institutes, centers, and offices that are part of the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which focuses on how environmental and biological factors influence adolescent development. The team looked at data from brain imaging and neurocognitive testing from 11,875 9- and 10-year-old children (48% female) from 21 sites within the United States, largely reflecting urban and suburban areas.

The researchers found that youth living in high poverty neighborhoods had lower volumes of certain brain regions, partially explaining the possible relationship between high neighborhood poverty and lower scores on cognitive tests. The affected areas of the brain were in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, areas known to be involved in language and memory. The differences in volume were significant even after the researchers adjusted for the effects of household income. For every unit increase in neighborhood poverty, children scored 3.22 points lower on cognitive testing, even when accounting for household income.

While other studies have found poorer school and cognitive performance among children raised in impoverished environments, this study shines a light on the specific importance of the neighborhood context in a child’s development, regardless of that child’s household income. The study’s findings suggest that policies that address uneven distribution of resources among neighborhoods may help lessen imbalances in cognitive performance. Additional research is needed to identify which neighborhood characteristics, such as school funding or environmental pollution, may influence children’s brain and cognitive development.

The ABCD Study, the largest of its kind in the United States, is tracking nearly 12,000 youth as they grow into young adults. Investigators regularly measure participants’ brain structure and activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, and collect psychological, environmental, and cognitive information, as well as biological samples. The goal of the study is to define standards for normal brain and cognitive development and to identify factors that can enhance or disrupt a young person’s life trajectory.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and ABCD Study are registered trademarks and service marks, respectfully, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Article

Taylor, RL, Cooper, SR, Jackson, JJ, Barch, DM. Assessment of Neighborhood Poverty, Cognitive Function, and Prefrontal and Hippocampal Volumes in Children. INSERT HYPERLINK. JAMA Network Open. November 3, 2020.

Who

Gaya Dowling, Ph.D., Director, Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, National Institute on Drug Abuse, is available for comment.

To learn more, go to: Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found at https://www.drugabuse.gov, which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA’s DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or email requests to drugpubs@nida.nih.gov(link sends e-mail). Online ordering is available at https://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA’s media guide can be found at https://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide, and its easy-to-read website can be found at https://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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