Research Symposium

BIO

Abigail is a senior receiving a Bachelors of Science in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with a double major in Human Development and Family Sciences. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Abigail has a vested interest in the effects of early childhood experiences on cognitive and behavioral development. She has spent almost two years in The Learning Brain Lab under the direct supervision of Dr. Tehila Nugiel building and executing child psychology and brain development research. In her time outside of school, Abigail works as a clinical medical assistant in family medicine. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school in Texas with a focus in pediatric psychiatry.

The Impacts of Urban Vs. Rural Poverty on Brain Network Functional Connectivity and Mental Health

Abstract

Studies show that 20-30% of children in the United States experience poverty conditions at some point in their lives. Childhood poverty has been linked to future mental health problems through its various impacts on brain development. However, poverty is not equal throughout the United States. A majority of children will grow up in urban poverty, while others will grow up in rural settings. In these two environments, there are a variety of experiences that lead to different developmental trajectories and outcomes. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at baseline (ages 9-10) and child self-report surveys and parental reports at follow-up year 4 (ages 13-14), we aimed to determine how income to needs ratio (INR) in different urbanicity conditions relates to functional connectivity in brain networks associated with psychopathology. We also aimed to study whether INR is linked to future mental health problems, as seen through impaired connectivity in the aforementioned brain networks. Our research found a significant interaction between INR and urbanicity conditions predicting within default mode network (DMN) connectivity, such that the participants in more urban environments had a stronger relationship between INR and withinDMN connectivity. It was also found that children in lower INR demonstrated higher symptoms of internalized emotional distress, as reported in the Child Behavioral Checklist. Next steps include determining at what ages these functional connections begin to shift across urbanicity environments at different levels of INR, and whether these differences persist throughout the lifespan.

Keywords: Poverty, Childhood Development, Triple Brain Network