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Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs
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Early manifestations of genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders

Ragna Bugge Askeland1,2, Laurie J Hannigan1,2,3, Helga Ask1

  • 1Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|October 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Polygenic risk for autism and ADHD appears early in childhood, influencing various neurodevelopmental traits in both boys and girls. Schizophrenia risk showed no robust associations in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Genetics
  • Child psychology

Background:

  • Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (autism), and schizophrenia are highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Understanding the early childhood manifestation of polygenic risk for these conditions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between polygenic risk scores (PRS) for ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental traits in children.
  • To examine how these associations differ between sexes.

Main Methods:

  • Calculated PRS for ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia in 15,205 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).
  • Assessed mother-reported traits (repetitive behavior, social communication, language, motor difficulties, hyperactivity, inattention) at multiple time points from 6 months to 8 years.
  • Used linear regression models in a multigroup framework, with sex as a grouping variable.

Main Results:

  • ADHD PRS strongly associated with hyperactivity/inattention from infancy to 8 years, and language difficulties at 5 and 8 years.
  • Autism PRS associated with language difficulties (18 months), motor difficulties (36 months), and hyperactivity/inattention (8 years).
  • No robust associations found for schizophrenia PRS; most PRS associations were similar in boys and girls, except for ADHD PRS and hyperactivity at 18 months, which was stronger in boys.

Conclusions:

  • Polygenic risk for autism and ADHD manifests early in childhood.
  • These risks are broadly associated with various behavioral measures of neurodevelopmental traits in the general population.
Abstract

Keywords:
ADHDMoBaPolygenic risk scoreautismhyperactivityinattentionlanguage and motor difficultiesneurodevelopmental disordersrepetitive behaviorschizophreniasocial communication

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