Resting State Functional Connectivity as a Marker of Internalizing Disorder Onset in High-Risk Youth

While research has linked alterations in functional connectivity of resting state brain networks including the default mode (DMN), cognitive control (CCN), and salience networks (SN) to depression and anxiety, little research has examined whether these alterations may be premorbid vulnerabilities. This study examined resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the CCN, DMN, and SN as neural markers of risk for developing a first lifetime onset of a depressive or anxiety disorder in adolescents at high familial risk for these disorders. At baseline, 135 participants aged 11–17 completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), measures of internalizing symptoms, and diagnostic interviews to assess history of depressive and anxiety disorders. Diagnostic assessments were completed again at 9- or 18-month follow-up for 112 participants. At baseline, increased CCN connectivity to areas of the visual network, and decreased connectivity between the SN and the precentral gyrus, predicted an increased likelihood of an internalizing disorder onset at follow-up. Altered connectivity between these regions may represent a pre-morbid risk factor for developing a clinically significant onset of an internalizing disorder. Results may have implications for understanding the neural bases of internalizing disorder episodes and for early identification and prevention efforts.