Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-6jg5l Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-16T14:17:12.758Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Neuroimaging genetics and developmental psychopathology: A systematic review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2025

Connor L. Cheek
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Pavel V. Dobrynin
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Galina V. Khafizova
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Nabin Koirala
Affiliation:
Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA Brain Imaging Research Core (BIRC), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
Kelly Mahaffy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
Elena L. Grigorenko*
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA Departments of Pediatrics and Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
*
Corresponding author: Elena L. Grigorenko; Email: elena.grigorenko@times.uh.edu

Abstract

Imaging genetics is an interdisciplinary field that integrates neuroimaging and genetic data to improve behavioral prediction and investigate the genetic bases of brain structure and function. It aims to identify associations between genetic markers and brain imaging phenotypes, with a behavioral or clinical trait as the outcome of interest. Since its emergence nearly 30 years ago, the field has advanced substantially, fueled by rapid developments in molecular-genetic and neuroimaging techniques. These advances have opened new avenues for exploring individual differences in cognitive and socio-emotional development and their links to neurodevelopmental disorders. This systematic review examined studies published between 2020 and 2024, focusing on developmental psychopathology. We screened 769 articles from PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO and selected 42 publications that met specific inclusion criteria for review. The studies were categorized into three groups based on the developmental ages in which conditions typically develop: birth/early childhood, late childhood or early adolescence, and late adolescence. Although the field has seen considerable progress, multiple challenges in data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation remain. Larger sample sizes and novel analytical techniques are crucial for the continued advancement of imaging genetics, with animal studies offering potential complementary insights.

Information

Type
Regular Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Supplementary material: File

Cheek et al. supplementary material

Cheek et al. supplementary material
Download Cheek et al. supplementary material(File)
File 26.4 KB