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Multifactorial influences on childhood insomnia: Genetic, socioeconomic, brain development and psychopathology

Xiaolong Zhang1, Yuqing Sun2, Meng Wang2

  • 1Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Journal of Affective Disorders
|December 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Genetic and socioeconomic factors combined increase childhood insomnia risk, impacting brain development and mental health. Early interventions targeting these combined risks are crucial for affected children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Childhood insomnia is a prevalent sleep disturbance with significant negative consequences.
  • Its complex etiology involves biological, neurodevelopmental, social-environmental, and behavioral factors.
  • Current understanding and interventions for childhood insomnia remain insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the multifactorial origins of childhood insomnia.
  • To examine the interplay of genetic architecture, social-environmental variables, and neural mechanisms.
  • To explore the relationship between childhood insomnia and mental health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 4340 participants at baseline and 2717 at follow-up from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
  • Assessed joint effects of polygenic risk score (PRS) and socioeconomic status (SES) on insomnia symptoms.
  • Employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze directional relationships and mediation pathways.

Main Results:

  • SES and PRS independently and additively influenced children's insomnia symptoms.
  • Inferior precentral sulcus deviation mediated the relationship between SES/PRS and insomnia.
  • Insomnia, precentral development, and accumulated SES-PRS risks significantly predicted psychopathology symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood insomnia arises from the additive effects of genetic and socioenvironmental factors.
  • Precentral development is a key neural pathway mediating these effects.
  • Findings suggest potential targets for early detection and intervention in childhood insomnia.

Keywords:
Childhood insomniaGeneticsMRIPsychopathology syndromeSocioeconomics

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