About the project

Our Mission

The Infant2Adult project aims to investigate multimodal neurobiological markers as potential mechanisms linking early RPs to mental health outcomes from childhood through adulthood. 

By integrating data from three major European population-based studies — Generation R (GenR), the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), and the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS) — we strive to provide comprehensive insights into the developmental trajectories of the RP - mental health association.

Key Objectives

1. Examine the Impact of Early RPs: We explore whether early RPs lead to poorer mental health throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Our research focuses on a wide range of mental health measures, including internalizing and externalizing problems, DSM-focused disorders, and peer relationships.

2. Investigate Neurobiological Pathways: Our project delves into the structural and functional changes within the brain’s allostatic-interoceptive system (AIS), particularly the default mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN). We aim to understand how these changes mediate the relationship between early RPs and mental health outcomes.

3. Develop Crosswalk Models: Utilizing phenotypic data from the three studies, as well as the Healthy Brain Network (HBN), we create models to translate disorder categories into hierarchical mental health dimensions, enhancing the accuracy and applicability of our findings.

Our Approach

The Infant2Adult project employs a robust methodological framework, including:

• Cross-Dataset Analysis: We combine data from multiple cohorts to increase the power and generalizability of our findings, using and further developing an open R package QDECR.

• Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques: Using structural and functional MRI data, we analyze morphological brain changes as well as connectivity patterns associated with early RPs.

• Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): We adopt the HiTOP model to capture the complexity and continuity of mental health problems, moving beyond traditional categorical diagnoses.