FTO variation and early frontostriatal brain development in children.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Obesity-associated genetic variants, particularly at the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) locus, are linked to eating behaviors.
• These FTO variants have been associated with changes in the structure and function of frontostriatal brain regions involved in reward processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how variations in the FTO gene influence the development of frontostriatal appetite circuits in early childhood.
• To examine the relationship between FTO genotype and brain volume trajectories during development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the RESONANCE longitudinal study on early brain development.
• Examined brain volume growth trajectories (nucleus accumbens, frontal lobe, total gray/white matter) in 228 children using MRI.
• Analyzed data based on FTO single-nucleotide polymorphism rs9939609 risk allele (AA) carrier status, controlling for sex, BMI z-score, and maternal education.

Main Results:

• Children carrying the FTO risk allele (AA) exhibited greater nucleus accumbens volume compared to those without the risk allele (TT).
• This difference in nucleus accumbens volume (adjusted for total brain volume) was observed between approximately 2 and 6 years of age (750 to 2250 days).

Conclusions:

• Common genetic risk for obesity is associated with distinct early developmental patterns in the brain's reward circuitry.
• Highlights the importance of studying dynamic interactions between genotype, brain development, behavior, and weight across the lifespan.