The NIH MRI study of normal brain development: performance of a population based sample of healthy children aged 6 to 18 years on a neuropsychological battery.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Study of Normal Brain Development is a landmark study in which structural and metabolic brain development and behavior are followed longitudinally from birth to young adulthood in a population-based sample of healthy children. The neuropsychological assessment protocol for children aged 6 to 18 years is described and normative data are presented for participants in that age range (N = 385). For many measures, raw score performance improved steeply from 6 to 10 years, decelerating during adolescence. Sex differences were documented for Block Design (male advantage), CVLT, Pegboard and Coding (female advantage). Household income predicted IQ and achievement, as well as externalizing problems and social competence, but not the other cognitive or behavioral measures. Performance of this healthy sample was generally better than published norms. This linked imaging-clinical/behavioral database will be an invaluable public resource for researchers for many years to come.
Waber
Deborah P
DP
Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. deborah.waber@childrens.harvard.edu
De Moor
Carl
C
Forbes
Peter W
PW
Almli
C Robert
CR
Botteron
Kelly N
KN
Leonard
Gabriel
G
Milovan
Denise
D
Paus
Tomas
T
Rumsey
Judith
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018672:Community Health Planning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States