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Brain Structural Alterations in Left-Behind Children: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Yuchuan Fu1, Yuan Xiao1,2, Meimei Du1
1Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|May 29, 2019
Summary
Parental migration impacts children
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Millions of children globally are left behind due to parental migration.
- Left-behind children (LBC) face increased risks of mental health issues and adverse life outcomes.
- Limited research exists on the cerebral structural differences between LBC and children with resident parents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of parental migration on children's brain maturation.
- To compare brain structure, specifically gray matter volume (GMV) and fractional anisotropy (FA), between LBC and non-LBC.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 38 LBC and 30 non-LBC for 3.0 T MRI brain scans.
- Measured GMV and FA using atlas-based analysis and compared between groups.
- Collected data on IQ, family income, guardian education, and separation duration.
Main Results:
- LBC showed greater GMV in emotional and cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits compared to non-LBC.
- LBC exhibited altered FA in the superior occipitofrontal fasciculi and right medial lemniscus.
- Family income, guardian education, and separation time did not correlate with these brain changes.
Conclusions:
- Parental absence due to migration is associated with significant alterations in children's brain structure.
- These structural changes in LBC may underlie emotional regulation difficulties and predispose them to mental health disorders.
- Public health interventions are recommended to support the academic and socio-emotional development of LBC.
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