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Related Experiment Videos

A pediatric twin study of brain morphometry.

Gregory L Wallace1, J Eric Schmitt, Rhoshel Lenroot

  • 1Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|November 1, 2006
PubMed
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Genetic and environmental factors influence brain development differently across childhood. While gray matter heritability decreases with age, white matter heritability increases, impacting cognitive development and brain disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Longitudinal pediatric neuroimaging reveals increasing white matter volumes and inverted U-shaped gray matter trajectories during development.
  • Twin studies are crucial for dissecting genetic and non-genetic influences on these developmental brain changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to brain volume development in children and adolescents.
  • To explore age-related changes in the heritability of gray and white matter volumes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans from a pediatric cohort including monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, and singletons.
  • Employed structural equation modeling to estimate genetic (additive), common environmental, and unique environmental effects on brain volumes.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed age by heritability interactions for various brain regions.

    • Main Results:

    • Additive genetic effects significantly influenced variability in most brain regions, except the cerebellum.
    • Observed significant age by heritability interactions: gray matter heritability decreased with age, while white matter heritability increased.
    • Demonstrated differential genetic and environmental influences on gray and white matter development across childhood and adolescence.

    Conclusions:

    • The interplay of genetic and non-genetic factors on brain development varies with age and brain region.
    • Understanding these developmental trajectories is vital for insights into typical cognitive development and brain-based disorders.