NowIKnowMyABCD: A global resource hub for researchers using data from the ABCD Study.

The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, involving over 11,000 youth and their families, is a groundbreaking project examining various factors impacting brain and cognitive development. Despite yielding hundreds of publications and counting, the ABCD Study has lacked a centralized help platform to assist researchers in navigating and analyzing the extensive ABCD dataset. To support the ABCD research community, we created NowIKnowMyABCD, the first centralized documentation and communication resource publicly available to researchers using ABCD Study data. It consists of two core elements: a user-focused website and a moderated discussion board. The website serves as a repository for ABCD-related resources, tutorials, and a live feed of relevant updates and queries sourced from social media websites. The discussion board offers a platform for researchers to seek guidance, troubleshoot issues, and engage with peers. Our aim is for NowIKnowMyABCD to grow with participation from the ABCD research community, fostering transparency, collaboration, and adherence to open science principles.

Contributions of Parasympathetic Arousal-Related Activity to Cognitive Performance in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis and Control Subjects.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is integral to the pathophysiology of psychosis. Recent findings implicate autonomic arousal-related activity in both momentary fluctuations and individual differences in cognitive performance. Although altered autonomic arousal is common in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), its contribution to cognitive performance is unknown. METHODS: A total of 24 patients with FEP (46% male, age = 24.31 [SD 4.27] years) and 24 control subjects (42% male, age = 27.06 [3.44] years) performed the Multi-Source Interference Task in-scanner with simultaneous pulse oximetry. First-level models included the cardiac-blood oxygen level-dependent regressor, in addition to task (congruent, interference, and error) and nuisance (motion and CompCor physiology) regressors. The cardiac-blood oxygen level-dependent regressor reflected parasympathetic arousal-related activity and was created by convolving the interbeat interval at each heartbeat with the hemodynamic response function. Group models examined the effect of group or cognitive performance (reaction times × error rate) on arousal-related and task activity, while controlling for sex, age, and framewise displacement. RESULTS: Parasympathetic arousal-related activity was robust in both groups but localized to different regions for patients with FEP and healthy control subjects. Within both groups, arousal-related activity was significantly associated with cognitive performance across occipital and temporal cortical regions. Greater arousal-related activity in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 9) was related to better performance in healthy control subjects but not patients with FEP. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic arousal circuits contribute to cognitive performance and the pathophysiology of FEP. Arousal-related functional activity is a novel indicator of cognitive ability and should be incorporated into neurobiological models of cognition in psychosis.

Electroconvulsive Therapy and Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a remarkably effective treatment for major depressive disorder, but is less commonly utilized for treatment of psychotic disorders. Recent literature indicates that ECT can be a useful strategy for a wide range of psychotic disorders, including treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The purpose of this review is to examine the extant literature on ECT in schizophrenia with a primary focus on its efficacy, its impact on cognitive function, the role of maintenance ECT, and the potential role of neuroimaging biomarkers to provide more precise ECT treatment strategies. We evaluated the available literature, with a particular focus on prospective, randomized trials. Our review suggests that ECT can be an effective treatment strategy in this severely ill patient population. Studies suggest that while ECT in schizophrenia is a safe treatment modality, the potential for cognitive impairment must always be carefully weighed. The use and investigation of new biomarker strategies for the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia, and the extension of these approaches to ECT are also discussed.