scholarly journals Structural brain development: a review of methodological approaches and best practices

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandita Vijayakumar ◽  
Kathryn L. Mills ◽  
Aaron Alexander-Bloch ◽  
Christian K. Tamnes ◽  
Sarah Whittle
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structural Brain

AbstractContinued advances in neuroimaging technologies and statistical modelling capabilities have improved our knowledge of structural brain development in children and adolescents. While this has provided an increasingly nuanced understanding of brain development, the field is still plagued by inconsistent findings. This review highlights the methodological diversity in existing longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on structural brain development during childhood and adolescence, and addresses how such variation might contribute to inconsistencies in the literature. We discuss the impact of method choices at multiple decision points across the research process, from study design and sample selection, to image processing and statistical analysis. We also highlight the extent to which different methodological considerations have been empirically examined, drawing attention to specific areas that would benefit from future investigation. Where appropriate, we recommend certain best practices that would be beneficial for the field to adopt, including greater completeness and transparency in reporting methods, in order to ultimately develop an accurate and detailed understanding of normative child and adolescent brain development.

scholarly journals Longitudinal structural and functional brain development in childhood and adolescence

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Mills ◽  
Christian K. Tamnes
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
And Function

The development of the human brain involves a prolonged course of maturation, enabling us to learn to navigate our complex social environments. Here, we give short introductions to post-mortem and animal studies on postnatal brain development and selected methodological considerations for longitudinal developmental neuroimaging. We then describe typical developmental changes in brain structure and function from childhood to adulthood. We focus on measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and on longitudinal data. Specifically, we discuss brain structural development based on morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, and functional development based on resting-state and task-based functional MRI. Finally, we highlight selected current overarching research questions and argue that an important step in answering these questions is to study individual differences in longitudinal brain development.

scholarly journals Satellite Imaging of Global Urbanicity relate to Adolescent Brain Development and Behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayuan Xu ◽  
Xiaoxuan Liu ◽  
Alex Ing ◽  
Qiaojun Li ◽  
Wen Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Geographic Locations ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Adolescent Brain Development

AbstractUrbanicity, the impact of living in urban areas, is among the greatest environmental challenges for mental health. While urbanicity might be distinct in different sociocultural conditions and geographic locations, there are likely to exist common features shared in different areas of the globe. Understanding these common and specific relations of urbanicity with human brain and behavior will enable to assess the impact of urbanicity on mental disorders, especially in childhood and adolescence, where prevention and early interventions are likely to be most effective.We constructed from satellite-based remote sensing data a factor for urbanicity that was highly correlated with population density ground data. This factor, ‘UrbanSat’ was utilized in the Chinese CHIMGEN sample (N=831) and the longitudinal European IMAGEN cohort (N=810) to investigate if exposure to urbanicity during childhood and adolescence is associated with differences in brain structure and function in young adults, and if these changes are linked to behavior.Urbanicity was found negatively correlated with medial prefrontal cortex volume and positively correlated with cerebellar vermis volume in young adults from both China and Europe. We found an increased correlation of urbanicity with functional network connectivity within- and between- brain networks in Chinese compared to European participants. Urbanicity was highly correlated with a measure of perceiving a situation from the perspective of others, as well as symptoms of depression in both datasets. These correlations were mediated by the structural and functional brain changes observed. Susceptibility to urbanicity was greatest in two developmental windows during mid-childhood and adolescence.Using innovative technology, we were able to probe the relationship between urban upbringing with brain change and behavior in different sociocultural conditions and geographic locations. Our findings help to identify shared and distinct determinants of adolescent brain development and mental health in different regions of the world, thus contributing to targeted prevention and early-intervention programs for young people in their unique environment. Our approach may be relevant for public health, policy and urban planning globally.

Methodological Considerations in Code-Switching Research

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay González-Vilbazo ◽  
Laura Bartlett ◽  
Sarah Downey ◽  
Shane Ebert ◽  
Jeanne Heil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Experimental Procedure ◽  
Participant Selection ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Linguistic Inquiry ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article addresses methodological concerns in research on grammatical aspects of code-switching. Data from code-switching have the potential for a unique contribution to linguistics by giving us access to combinations of linguistic features that may be difficult (or impossible) to observe in monolingual data. Nonetheless, the use of code-switching data for linguistic inquiry is not without issues. In this paper, we focus on three methodological questions specific to code-switching research: (i) project design, (ii) experimental procedure and (iii) participant selection. Drawing on experimental data from both published works and in-progress projects, we highlight potential solutions to each methodological challenge, concluding that several solutions are often required to mitigate the impact of confounding variables. In line with previous work (e.g. Grosjean 1998, Gullberg, Indefrey & Muysken 2009), we suggest that researchers clearly report on their methodology. Our overall goal is to contribute to a dialogue on best practices in code-switching research.

scholarly journals Enhancing reproducibility using interprofessional team best practices

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betsy Rolland ◽  
Elizabeth S. Burnside ◽  
Corrine I. Voils ◽  
Manish N. Shah ◽  
Allan R. Brasier
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Scientific Integrity ◽  
Team Science ◽  
Translational Science ◽  
Preclinical Research ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The pervasive problem of irreproducibility of preclinical research represents a substantial threat to the translation of CTSA-generated health interventions. Key stakeholders in the research process have proposed solutions to this challenge to encourage research practices that improve reproducibility. However, these proposals have had minimal impact, because they either 1. take place too late in the research process, 2. focus exclusively on the products of research instead of the processes of research, and/or 3. fail to take into account the driving incentives in the research enterprise. Because so much clinical and translational science is team-based, CTSA hubs have a unique opportunity to leverage Science of Team Science research to implement and support innovative, evidence-based, team-focused, reproducibility-enhancing activities at a project’s start, and across its evolution. Here, we describe the impact of irreproducibility on clinical and translational science, review its origins, and then describe stakeholders’ efforts to impact reproducibility, and why those efforts may not have the desired effect. Based on team-science best practices and principles of scientific integrity, we then propose ways for Translational Teams to build reproducible behaviors. We end with suggestions for how CTSAs can leverage team-based best practices and identify observable behaviors that indicate a culture of reproducible research.

scholarly journals Longitudinal structural and functional brain development in childhood and adolescence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Mills ◽  
Christian K. Tamnes
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
And Function

The development of the human brain involves a prolonged course of maturation, enabling us to learn to navigate our complex social environments. Here, the authors give short introductions to post-mortem and animal studies on postnatal brain development and selected methodological considerations for longitudinal developmental neuroimaging. The authors then describe typical developmental changes in brain structure and function from childhood to adulthood. The authors focus on measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and on longitudinal data. Specifically, the authors discuss brain structural development based on morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, and functional development based on resting-state and task-based functional MRI. Finally, the authors highlight selected current overarching research questions and argue that an important step in answering these questions is to study individual differences in longitudinal brain development.

scholarly journals Shaping an ethical approach to trans research: Some reflections from my doctoral project

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69
Author(s):  
France rose Hartline
Keyword(s):  
Research Process ◽  
Gender Recognition ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Ethical Approach ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Feminist Scholar ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gender Change

From 2016 to 2019, I conducted my doctoral project research on trans and gender-diverse experiences in Norway, focussing on the impact of a new law on gender recognition through which the previous sterilisation requirement for legal gender change was overturned. Over the course of this research, I have been exploring what it means to be an ethical feminist scholar and working to foster what I feel is a more ethical approach to research on trans individuals. In this article, I outline what I have found to be essential theoretical and methodological considerations to ethical trans research. I apply these to my own doctoral research process to demonstrate the importance of trans-focussed research, reflecting on the challenges I faced when writing my thesis.

scholarly journals Structural brain development: A review of methodological approaches and best practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 129-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandita Vijayakumar ◽  
Kathryn L. Mills ◽  
Aaron Alexander-Bloch ◽  
Christian K. Tamnes ◽  
Sarah Whittle
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Structural Brain

scholarly journals Imaging structural brain development in childhood and adolescence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian K. Tamnes ◽  
Kathryn L. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Brain Morphometry ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Structural Brain ◽  
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

The human brain undergoes a remarkably protracted development. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has allowed us to capture these changes through longitudinal investigations. In this chapter, we describe the typical developmental trajectories of human brain structure between childhood and early adulthood. We focus on measurements of brain morphometry and measurements derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). By integrating findings from multiple longitudinal investigations with seminal cellular studies, we describe neurotypical patterns of structural brain development and possible underlying biological mechanisms. Finally, we highlight several new measures and approaches to examine structural brain development.

Public space of the trustworthiness of sociological knowledge: The case of electoral research

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-22
Author(s):  
OLEKSANDR STEGNII
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Election Campaign ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
Sociological Knowledge ◽  
The Public ◽  
Approval Ratings ◽  
The Impact

The paper analyses specific features of sociological data circulation in a public space during an election campaign. The basic components of this kind of space with regard to sociological research are political actors (who put themselves up for the election), voters and agents. The latter refer to professional groups whose corporate interests are directly related to the impact on the election process. Sociologists can also be seen as agents of the electoral process when experts in the field of electoral sociology are becoming intermingled with manipulators without a proper professional background and publications in this field. In a public space where an electoral race is unfolding, empirical sociological research becomes the main form of obtaining sociological knowledge, and it is primarily conducted to measure approval ratings. Electoral research serves as an example of combining the theoretical and empirical components of sociological knowledge, as well as its professional and public dimensions. Provided that sociologists meet all the professional requirements, electoral research can be used as a good tool for evaluating the trustworthiness of results reflecting the people’s expression of will. Being producers of sociological knowledge, sociologists act in two different capacities during an election campaign: as analysts and as pollsters. Therefore, it is essential that the duties and areas of responsibility for professional sociologists should be separated from those of pollsters. Another thing that needs to be noted is the negative influence that political strategists exert on the trustworthiness of survey findings which are going to be released to the public. Using the case of approval ratings as an illustration, the author analyses the most common techniques aimed at misrepresenting and distorting sociological data in the public space. Particular attention is given to the markers that can detect bogus polling companies, systemic violations during the research process and data falsification.

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