Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Tyler M Moore
Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Russell T Shinohara
Departments of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Kosha Ruparel
Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Christos Davatzikos
Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Fabio Pasqualetti
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside, United States
Raquel E Gur
Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, United States
Executive function develops during adolescence, yet it remains unknown how structural brain networks mature to facilitate activation of the fronto-parietal system, which is critical for executive function. In a sample of 946 human youths (ages 8-23y) who completed diffusion imaging, we capitalized upon recent advances in linear dynamical network control theory to calculate the energetic cost necessary to activate the fronto-parietal system through the control of multiple brain regions given existing structural network topology. We found that the energy required to activate the fronto-parietal system declined with development, and the pattern of regional energetic cost predicts unseen individuals’ brain maturity. Finally, energetic requirements of the cingulate cortex were negatively correlated with executive performance, and partially mediated the development of executive performance with age. Our results reveal a mechanism by which structural networks develop during adolescence to reduce the theoretical energetic costs of transitions to activation states necessary for executive function.
