Early adolescent brain markers of late adolescent academic functioning

• Published in: Brain imaging and behavior 2019-08, Vol.13 (4), p.945-952
• Main Authors: Meruelo, Alejandro Daniel, Jacobus, Joanna, Idy, Erick, Nguyen-Louie, Tam, Brown, Gregory, Tapert, Susan Frances
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Success; Adolescent; Adolescents; Analysis of covariance; Bayes Theorem; Bayesian analysis; Biomarkers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - growth & development; Brain Mapping - methods; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Child; Child development; Cognition - physiology; Cortex; Covariance; Demographics; Demography; Female; Forecasting - methods; Hemispheric laterality; Historical account; Humans; Intelligence; Intelligence Tests; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Morphometry; Neuropsychology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Research; Performance prediction; Psychiatry; Sensitivity and Specificity; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1931-7557; 1931-7565
• DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9912-2

Academic performance in adolescence strongly influences adult prospects. Intelligence quotient (IQ) has historically been considered a strong predictor of academic performance. Less objectively explored have been morphometric features. We analyzed brain MRI morphometry metrics in early adolescence (age 12–14 years) as quantitative predictors of academic performance over high school using a naïve Bayesian classifier approach with n  = 170 subjects. Based on the mean GPA, subjects were divided into high (GPA ≥3.54; n  = 87) and low (GPA