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Older-looking Childhood Brains Predict Emotional Suppression in Adolescence
A new study published in Translational Psychiatry shows that children whose brains appear structurally older than their chronological age are more likely to suppress emotions during early adolescence. The research, led by Kristóf Ágrez of the HUN‑REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, used data from the U.S. Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine the link between brain maturation and later coping strategies.
The ABCD Study follows more than 11,500 children who begin at age 9–10 and are tracked into adulthood. In this analysis, 2,711 participants received structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at baseline and completed self‑report questionnaires three years later. The researchers focused on two emotion‑regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal, which involves reframing a stressful situation, and expressive suppression, which is the conscious effort to hide outward emotional displays.
To quantify brain maturation, the team applied a machine‑learning algorithm trained on over 50,000 adult and older‑adult brain scans. The algorithm estimates a person’s “brain age” from MRI data; the difference between this estimate and the individual’s actual age is the brain‑predicted age difference (brain‑PAD). A positive brain‑PAD indicates a brain that appears older than the person’s chronological age.
The analysis found that a higher brain‑PAD at baseline predicted greater use of expressive suppression three years later. In contrast, brain‑PAD did not predict the use of cognitive reappraisal. The researchers controlled for intelligence, behavioral inhibition, pubertal development, race, sex assigned at birth, and psychiatric medication use. Even after these adjustments, the association between older‑looking brains and later suppression remained statistically significant.
The study also examined whether parent‑reported attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at baseline could predict emotional coping. The researchers found no significant link between ADHD symptoms and later expressive suppression, suggesting that the physical maturation of the brain is a more reliable indicator for this specific coping style.
The authors explain that expressive suppression relies on relatively simple neural mechanisms that block outward emotional reactions, whereas cognitive reappraisal demands greater executive control and engages the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Because the prefrontal cortex matures slowly during childhood and adolescence, a brain that appears structurally advanced may already have a more pronounced capacity to suppress emotions.
Limitations of the study include the exclusion of children who moved excessively during MRI scans, which may reduce representation of those with severe hyperactivity. Additionally, the machine‑learning model was primarily trained on adult data; a pediatric‑specific model could refine predictions.
Despite these caveats, the findings highlight a measurable link between early brain development and later emotional coping. Expressive suppression is associated with increased risk for anxiety and depression, so identifying children who are likely to adopt this strategy could inform early intervention efforts.
The study, titled “Assessing the association between ADHD and brain maturation in late childhood and emotion regulation in early adolescence,” was authored by Ágrez, Pál Vakli, Béla Weiss, Zoltán Vidnyánszky, and Nóra Bunford.
The research underscores the potential of brain‑age estimation as a tool in developmental neuroscience and suggests that structural brain metrics may help predict mental‑health trajectories in youth.
The ABCD Study follows more than 11,500 children who begin at age 9–10 and are tracked into adulthood. In this analysis, 2,711 participants received structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at baseline and completed self‑report questionnaires three years later. The researchers focused on two emotion‑regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal, which involves reframing a stressful situation, and expressive suppression, which is the conscious effort to hide outward emotional displays.
To quantify brain maturation, the team applied a machine‑learning algorithm trained on over 50,000 adult and older‑adult brain scans. The algorithm estimates a person’s “brain age” from MRI data; the difference between this estimate and the individual’s actual age is the brain‑predicted age difference (brain‑PAD). A positive brain‑PAD indicates a brain that appears older than the person’s chronological age.
The analysis found that a higher brain‑PAD at baseline predicted greater use of expressive suppression three years later. In contrast, brain‑PAD did not predict the use of cognitive reappraisal. The researchers controlled for intelligence, behavioral inhibition, pubertal development, race, sex assigned at birth, and psychiatric medication use. Even after these adjustments, the association between older‑looking brains and later suppression remained statistically significant.
The study also examined whether parent‑reported attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at baseline could predict emotional coping. The researchers found no significant link between ADHD symptoms and later expressive suppression, suggesting that the physical maturation of the brain is a more reliable indicator for this specific coping style.
The authors explain that expressive suppression relies on relatively simple neural mechanisms that block outward emotional reactions, whereas cognitive reappraisal demands greater executive control and engages the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Because the prefrontal cortex matures slowly during childhood and adolescence, a brain that appears structurally advanced may already have a more pronounced capacity to suppress emotions.
Limitations of the study include the exclusion of children who moved excessively during MRI scans, which may reduce representation of those with severe hyperactivity. Additionally, the machine‑learning model was primarily trained on adult data; a pediatric‑specific model could refine predictions.
Despite these caveats, the findings highlight a measurable link between early brain development and later emotional coping. Expressive suppression is associated with increased risk for anxiety and depression, so identifying children who are likely to adopt this strategy could inform early intervention efforts.
The study, titled “Assessing the association between ADHD and brain maturation in late childhood and emotion regulation in early adolescence,” was authored by Ágrez, Pál Vakli, Béla Weiss, Zoltán Vidnyánszky, and Nóra Bunford.
The research underscores the potential of brain‑age estimation as a tool in developmental neuroscience and suggests that structural brain metrics may help predict mental‑health trajectories in youth.
