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Birth weight and gestation influence striatal morphology and motor response in normal six-year-old boys
Anqi Qiu1, Anne Rifkin-Graboi, Jidan Zhong
1Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. bieqa@nus.edu.sg
Insights
Subtle variations in fetal development, even within the normal range, impact brain structure and cognitive function. Lower birth weight and shorter gestation in healthy boys correlated with reduced caudate volumes and poorer motor control, suggesting prenatal influences on ADHD endophenotypes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is linked to fetal development, but the influence of subtle variations within the normal range of birth weight and gestational age is unclear.
- Investigating ADHD-related endophenotypes, including striatal morphology and motor control, can elucidate these prenatal influences in healthy children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between birth weight, gestational age, and ADHD-related endophenotypes in healthy children.
- To determine if subtle variations in prenatal development affect brain structure (striatum) and cognitive/motor functions.
Main Methods:
- 157 six-year-old boys born within the normal range of birth weight and gestational age were studied.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessed striatal volumes and shapes.
- The stop signal task evaluated motor response and inhibition.
Main Results:
- Interactive effects of birth weight and gestational age predicted caudate volumes and shapes, even within the normal range.
- Boys with lower birth weight and shorter gestation exhibited smaller caudate volumes and poorer motor response (longer reaction times, increased variability).
Conclusions:
- Prenatal influences on neurocognitive and brain development occur across the entire population, not just at the extremes.
- Variations in brain structure and cognitive endophenotypes associated with ADHD are sensitive to subtle prenatal factors, informing intervention research.
Abstract:
The relation between fetal growth and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cuts across the normal range of birth weights suggesting that subtle variations in fetal development may influence brain and cognitive function. We investigated the relation of ADHD-related endophenotypes, such as the striatum morphology, motor response and inhibition, with birth weight and gestational age in healthy children. 157 Six-year-old boys born at term (37 to 41 weeks) within the normal range for birth weight (2500 to 4630 g) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and performed the stop signal task. Linear regression was used to examine effects of birth weight, gestational age, and their interaction on striatal volumes and shapes as well as motor response and inhibition. Interactive effects of birth weight and gestational age, even within the normal range, predicted caudate volumes and shapes. Boys with relatively low birth weight and shorter gestation had smaller caudate volumes, reflected by shape contraction in the middle body, and in addition performed worst in motor response, reflected by mean reaction time and its variability. Our results supported the idea that prenatal influences on neurocognitive and brain development are not limited to the extreme range, but occur across the entire population. Variations in brain structure and cognitive endophenotypes associated with childhood ADHD psychopathology are sensitive to subtle prenatal influences, which provides guidance for intervention research to improve mental health of children.
