Genome-wide association analysis identifies common variants influencing infant brain volumes

Area of Science:

• Neurogenetics
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Psychiatric Genetics

Background:

• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in adolescents and adults reveal genetic influences on brain structure and psychiatric risk.
• However, these studies cannot fully explain the developmental origins of psychiatric disorders, which begin in fetal life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of genetic variation on prenatal brain development.
• To identify specific genetic loci associated with global brain tissue volumes in infants.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of global brain tissue volumes in 561 infants.
• Analyzed associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and brain volumes.
• Integrated findings with large-scale neuroimaging GWAS data from adolescents and adults.

Main Results:

• A significant intronic SNP in IGFBP7 (rs114518130) was associated with gray matter volume (P=4.15 × 10^-10).
• An intronic SNP in WWOX (rs10514437) neared genome-wide significance for white matter volume (P=1.56 × 10^-8).
• Minimal overlap was observed between common variants affecting brain volumes across different age groups (infancy, adolescence, adulthood).

Conclusions:

• Identified specific genes (IGFBP7, WWOX) influencing early brain development.
• Suggests distinct genetic architectures for brain volume regulation across developmental stages.
• Highlights the potential for identifying early genetic contributors to psychiatric and developmental disorders.