Cognitive Development and Brain Gray Matter Susceptibility to Prenatal Adversities: Moderation by the Prefrontal...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Limited research exists on gene co-expression networks' role in prenatal adversity's impact on neurodevelopment.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for identifying early developmental risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) gene network expression polygenic score (ePRS) moderates the association between prenatal adversity and cognitive development.
• To explore the relationship between prenatal adversity, BDNF ePRS, and gray matter density.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal assessment of cognitive development in 157 children (MAVAN cohort) from 6 to 36 months using Bayley-II mental scales.
• Calculation of BDNF ePRS based on genes co-expressed with BDNF in the prefrontal cortex.
• Analysis of gray matter density using Parallel-Independent Component Analysis (pICA).

Main Results:

• BDNF ePRS significantly moderated the effect of prenatal adversity on cognitive growth trajectories.
• Children with high BDNF ePRS exposed to higher prenatal adversity showed slower cognitive development.
• Expression-based SNP associations with gray matter density differed between low and high prenatal adversity groups, involving visual and attention networks.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive development and gray matter density are influenced by the interaction between prenatal environment and BDNF gene network expression.
• The BDNF network plays a key role in guiding neuronal growth and plasticity, mediating environmental influences.