Biology subjects

Tsompanidis, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Tsompanidis, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Associations between the environment, brain, mental health, and cognition across adolescence

Adolescence is a critical period for the development of the brain, cognition, and mental health, which are shaped by a wide range of environmental factors. In the present study, we analysed the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset to examine how a range of proximal (e.g., socioeconomic status, familial circumstances) and distal (e.g., neighbourhood conditions, access to healthcare and education) environmental factors are associated with changes in centile-based measures of brain structure, and whether these brain differences subsequently mediate variations in cognition and mental health. We analysed these associations both at baseline (N = 6,911; 3,605 M, 3,606 F; mean age = 9.93) and longitudinally across three timepoints (N = 1,628; 879 M, 749 F; ages 8-15). At baseline, a more advantaged proximal and distal environment was associated with larger volumes across the whole brain relative to age- and sex-matched peers, which, in turn, mediated better mental health outcomes and cognitive performance. In the longitudinal analysis, the childhood environment predicted changes in brain structure across adolescence, and these structural changes predicted changes in mental health and cognition. The childhood environment also predicted cognitive but not mental health changes across adolescence, suggesting that these associations may already be established early in adolescence. These findings provide insight into how environmental and neural factors shape adolescent mental health and cognition, with potential implications for early intervention strategies aimed at promoting positive developmental outcomes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Neonatal brain volumes and birth characteristics predict behavioural outcomes in toddlerhood

BackgroundEarly brain structure and birth factors (e.g., sex, birth weight, gestational age at birth) are understood as critical to shaping lifelong developmental and psychopathological outcomes. MethodsUsing data from the Developing Human Connectome Project, we examined whether neonatal brain volumes and birth factors predict developmental and socioemotional outcomes in toddlerhood. Structural MRI scans were acquired from 391 infants at birth (193 females, 198 males; mean age = 8 days), with follow-up behavioural assessments conducted in toddlerhood (mean age = 18 months). ResultsResults demonstrated that larger neonatal brain volumes were associated with lower autistic traits and higher cognitive, language and motor outcomes. A higher gestational age and weight at birth were associated with higher scores on various of these outcomes - an effect that was partially mediated by larger brain volumes at birth. Females showed higher language scores compared to males, though this effect was suppressed rather than mediated by neonatal brain volumes. ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate how birth factors interactively shape early developmental and neuropsychiatric outcomes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Mapping Brain Growth and Sex Differences Across Prenatal to Postnatal Development

The perinatal period, encompassing both prenatal and early postnatal stages, is a highly dynamic and foundational phase of brain development. Despite its significance, limited work has tracked brain growth continuously across prenatal to postnatal development. In this study, we analysed one of the largest perinatal MRI datasets from the Developing Human Connectome Project (798 scans from 699 unique individuals: 263 prenatal and 535 neonatal; 380 males and 319 females) to model age-related changes and sex differences in brain volumes from 21 to 45 weeks postconceptional age. We found that total brain volume grew at an increasing rate, with white matter dominating mid-gestational growth and gray matter dominating late-gestational and postnatal growth. Subcortical gray matter structures showed distinct trajectories and earlier peak growth rates compared to cortical gray matter structures. Additionally, sex differences in brain growth patterns were observed, with males showing greater volumetric increases with age compared with females. The findings demonstrate the evolving structural dynamics of perinatal brain development as well as the importance of integrating prenatal and postnatal neuroimaging to map continuous early brain growth trajectories.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Sex Differences in Human Brain Structure at Birth

Sex differences in human brain anatomy have been well-documented; however, their underlying causes remain controversial. Neonatal research offers a pivotal opportunity to address this long-standing debate. Given that postnatal environmental influences (e.g., gender socialisation) are minimal at birth, any sex differences observed at this stage can be more readily attributed to prenatal influences. Here, we assessed on-average sex differences in global and regional brain volumes in 514 newborns (236 birth-assigned females and 278 birth-assigned males) using data from the developing Human Connectome Project. On average, males had significantly larger intracranial and total brain volumes, even after controlling for birth weight. After controlling for total brain volume, females showed higher total cortical gray matter volumes, whilst males showed higher total white matter volumes. After controlling for total brain volume in regional comparisons, females had increased white matter volumes in the corpus callosum and increased gray matter volumes in the bilateral parahippocampal gyri (posterior parts), left anterior cingulate gyrus, bilateral parietal lobes, and left caudate nucleus. Males had increased gray matter volumes in the right medial and inferior temporal gyrus (posterior part) and right subthalamic nucleus. Effect sizes ranged from small for regional comparisons to large for global comparisons. While postnatal experiences likely amplify sex differences in the brain, our findings demonstrate that several global and regional on-average sex differences are already present at birth.

neuroscience↗