Editor's Pick Original Investigation

Perinatal Factors and Neuroimaging Changes for Brain Maturation Among Adolescents

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.27643

August 07, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT

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In this cohort study, conditional-longitudinal models captured individual-level deviations from expected growth trajectories, providing information beyond static positions on a growth curve to assess differences in maturation. Robust associations were observed between individual trajectory deviations, birth weight, and longitudinally assessed mental health symptoms. Conditional-longitudinal models hold promise for applications across psychiatric neuroscience, from development to aging.

Corresponding Authors: Eren Kafadar, BS, (eren.kafadar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu), and Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch, MD, PhD (aaron.alexander-bloch@pennmedicine.upenn.edu), Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, B504, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

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