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The exposome predicts youth sustained attention and attention-related brain network strength.

Poster Session C - Sunday, March 8, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Nia Berrian^1,2 (), Arielle S. Keller³, Alfred Chao², Andrew J. Stier⁴, Omid Kardan⁵, Tyler M. Moore⁶, Ran Barzilay^6,7, Marc G. Berman^2,8, Monica D. Rosenberg^2,8; ¹MSTP, University of Chicago Medicine, ²The University of Chicago, ³University of Connecticut, ⁴Sante Fe Institute, ⁵University of Michigan, ⁶University of Pennsylvania, ⁷Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, ⁸Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago

While environmental factors—including perinatal exposures, socioeconomic status, and toxin exposure—are known to influence cognitive and neural development, their specific impacts on sustained attention and associated functional brain networks have not been clearly delineated. A measure of multidimensional environmental factors, experiences and exposures, or “the exposome”, was previously derived using multilevel data from 354 variables in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Moore et al., 2022; Keller et al., 2023). Here, we establish associations between a general and specific exposome factors (School, Family Values, Family Turmoil, Dense Urban Poverty, Extracurriculars, and Screen Time), attention-related brain networks, and attention problems in youth aged 9-10. Mixed effects models revealed that the general exposome factor is associated with attention problems across caregiver-, teacher-, and youth self-report, such that youth with higher general exposome scores have higher attention problems. Negative school environments and screen time are associated with more attention problems. To capture brain networks supporting attention, we utilized an existing fMRI network model, the sustained attention connectome-based predictive model (saCPM). saCPM network strength during rest (N = 6691) predicted all three attention ratings as well as exposome scores, accounting for head motion and other covariates. Indirect effects models revealed that saCPM network strength statistically mediated the association between exposome score and multi-informant attention-problem ratings. Thus, the association between multidimensional environmental exposures and attention function in childhood is in part explained by the strength of large-scale attention-related brain networks.

Topic Area: ATTENTION: Development & aging