Latent neural network representations of the brain reflect broad-scale adolescent phenotypic variation

Abstract

The adolescent brain is attuned to social and environmental exploration, allowing behavioral adaptation as experiences shape lasting patterns of morphological organization. Using a convolutional neural network on longitudinal structural MRI data, we assess the early part of this developmental window and derive latent brain representations reflecting patterns of structural variability linked to personal, social, and neighborhood conditions in adolescence. These representations offer a flexible framework for mapping brain-trait associations in adolescence and beyond.