Mood Symptom Dimensions and Developmental Differences in Neurocognition in Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical period of neurocognitive development and increased prevalence of mood pathology. In this cross-sectional study, we replicated developmental patterns of neurocognition and tested whether mood symptoms moderated developmental effects. Participants were 419 adolescents (n = 246 with current mood disorders) who completed reward-learning and executive-functioning tasks and reported on age, puberty, and mood symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed a quadratic relationship between puberty and reward-learning performance that was moderated by symptom severity: In early puberty, adolescents reporting higher manic symptoms exhibited heightened reward-learning performance (better maximizing of rewards on learning tasks), whereas adolescents reporting elevated anhedonia showed blunted reward-learning performance. Models also showed a linear relationship between age and executive functioning that was moderated by manic symptoms: Adolescents reporting higher mania showed poorer executive functioning at older ages. Findings suggest neurocognitive development is altered in adolescents with mood pathology and suggest directions for longitudinal studies.

Automated summary

Adolescence is a crucial period for both neurocognitive development and the increased prevalence of mood disorders. This cross-sectional study replicated the developmental patterns of neurocognition and examined whether mood symptoms influenced these developmental effects. The findings suggest that neurocognitive development is altered in adolescents with mood pathology and provide directions for future longitudinal studies.