Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Dev Sci. 2019 Nov;22(6):e12834. doi: 10.1111/desc.12834. Epub 2019 May 10.
Biologically embedded experiences alter developmental trajectories in ways that can influence health, learning, and/or behavior. These systematic differences in experiences may contribute to different biological outcomes as individuals grow and develop, including at the neural level. Previous studies of biologically embedded experiences on neurodevelopment have focused on large-scale institutional or economic factors (e.g. socioeconomic status [SES]) and psychosocial factors (e.g. caregiving behavior). Less attention has focused on how the quality of the immediate home settings, such as the physical home environment (PHYS), influences neurodevelopment. Moreover, no study has investigated these effects in adolescents, who undergo significant physical maturation and neurodevelopment that may influence how they respond to their physical environments. The goal of the current study was to examine whether PHYS quality is biologically embedded in the developing adolescent brain as evidenced by cognitive achievement and cortical development in 56 (48% female) healthy adolescents (14-18 years (M = 16.83 years, SD = 1.17). Using in-home assessments of the physical home environment, anatomical brain scans, and indices of academic achievement, we found that adolescents who have more physical problems in the home (e.g. structural hazards, crowding, excessive noise, poorly lit) have thinner prefrontal cortices, which was associated with lower levels of reading achievement, independent of SES and psychosocial factors. By conducting home visits to assess physical characteristics of adolescents' home, we highlight a typically overlooked aspect of the home environment that has relevance for adolescents' cognitive and brain development.
生物嵌入体验以影响健康、学习和/或行为的方式改变发展轨迹。这些体验上的系统差异可能会导致个体成长和发育过程中的不同生物学结果，包括在神经水平上。先前关于生物嵌入体验对神经发育影响的研究主要集中在大规模的机构或经济因素（如社会经济地位 [SES]）和心理社会因素（如养育行为）上。较少关注家庭环境的质量，如家庭物理环境（PHYS），如何影响神经发育。此外，没有研究调查过这些在青少年身上的影响，因为他们经历了显著的身体成熟和神经发育，这可能会影响他们对身体环境的反应。本研究的目的是探讨家庭物理环境的质量是否在发育中的青少年大脑中具有生物嵌入性，这可以通过 56 名（48%为女性）健康青少年（14-18 岁，M=16.83 岁，SD=1.17 岁）的认知成绩和皮质发育来证明。我们使用家庭环境的物理环境评估、大脑解剖扫描和学业成绩指标，发现家庭中存在更多身体问题的青少年（例如结构危害、拥挤、过度噪音、照明不佳）的前额皮质较薄，这与阅读成绩较低有关，与 SES 和心理社会因素无关。通过进行家访来评估青少年家庭的物理特征，我们强调了家庭环境中一个通常被忽视的方面，这对青少年的认知和大脑发育具有重要意义。
