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Effects of parental socioeconomic status on offspring's fetal neurodevelopment

Julia Mathan1,2,3, Mélanie Maximino-Pinheiro1, Qin He3

  • 1Université Paris cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|November 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Parental socioeconomic status influences prenatal brain development, specifically the anterior cingulate cortex sulcal pattern. This suggests a link between socioeconomic factors and neurodevelopment, potentially explaining health and cognitive inequalities across generations.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The prenatal period is crucial for neurodevelopment, impacting future cognition and health.
  • Cortical sulcal patterns, established in utero, are stable indicators of fetal neurodevelopment.
  • Existing research often uses birth weight, but more specific neurodevelopmental proxies are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between parental socioeconomic status, brain volume, birth weight, and anterior cingulate cortex sulcal patterns.
  • To explore how genetic and environmental factors influence prenatal neurodevelopment.
  • To understand potential mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic inequalities.

Main Methods:

  • Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to assess brain structures.
  • Parental educational attainment and polygenic risk scores were collected.
  • Structural equation modeling analyzed the interplay of socioeconomic status, brain volume, and sulcal patterns in 203 participants (aged 9-18).

Main Results:

  • Parental socioeconomic status and global brain volume significantly influenced the anterior cingulate cortex sulcal pattern.
  • A correlation was found between parental socioeconomic status and polygenic risk scores.
  • These factors collectively suggest prenatal neurodevelopmental mediation of socioeconomic influences.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal neurodevelopment, reflected in cortical sulcal patterns, is associated with parental socioeconomic status.
  • Genetic predisposition, indicated by polygenic risk scores, may interact with socioeconomic factors.
  • Findings suggest a pathway through which socioeconomic disparities are transmitted across generations via prenatal development.

Keywords:
MRISESbirth weightbrain developmentfetal life

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