The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study: Imaging acquisition across 21 sites

Abstract

The ABCD study is recruiting and following the brain development and health of over 10,000 9-10 year olds through adolescence. The imaging component of the study was developed by the ABCD Data Analysis and Informatics Center (DAIC) and the ABCD Imaging Acquisition Workgroup. Imaging methods and assessments were selected, optimized and harmonized across all 21 sites to measure brain structure and function relevant to adolescent development and addiction. This article provides an overview of the imaging procedures of the ABCD study, the basis for their selection and preliminary quality assurance and results that provide evidence for the feasibility and age-appropriateness of procedures and generalizability of findings to the existent literature.

Keywords: Addiction; Adolescence; Development; Impulsivity; Memory; Reward.

Fig. 1

ABCD Neuroimaging Protocol.

Fig. 2

Preliminary distribution of head motion during resting-state and task-based fMRI scans. Box plots show the distribution of average frame-to-frame displacement during resting-state and emotion (E) N-back, stop-signal task (SST), and monetary incentive delay (MID) task runs from participants with all four scan types (n = 2536). The lower and upper box hinges correspond to the 25th and 75th percentiles; horizontal lines show median values; and dots represent individual participants.

Fig. 3

Monetary incentive delay task.

Fig. 4

Preliminary results for the MID task. A. Hit rate and reaction time are presented as a function of loss, reward and neutral trials for the first and second half of the data (Run 1 and Run 2). B. Cortical (top) and subcortical (bottom) maps for the contrast of reward success vs fail (signed Cohen’s d) show reliable activation of expected brain circuitry in medial prefrontal cortex (top) and the ventral striatum (bottom).

Fig. 5

Stop signal task. Examples of Go and Stop trials with timing are provided. ITI = Inter-trial interval; RT = Reaction time; SSD = Stop signal delay; SS = Stop signal.

Fig. 6

Preliminary Results for the SST. A. Accuracy and reaction times are presented as function go and stop trials. B. Cortical patterns of brain activity (signed Cohen’s d) for the contrast of correct stop vs correct go trials (top) and subcortical activity in the putamen for correct stop trials vs error stop trials. SSRT: stop signal reaction time; SSD: stop signal delay.

Fig. 7

Emotional N-Back Task.

Fig. 8

Preliminary results for the Emotional n-back task. A. Behavioral results. Boxplots provide the median, first and third quartiles for accuracy on the 0-back and 2-back conditions and for each experimental run of the task. B. fMRI results. Cortical (top) and subcortical (bottom) functional maps (signed Cohen’s d) for the contrast 2-back vs 0-back.