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Published on: November 21, 2013
Neurodevelopment within the first three years of life does not predict psychotic experiences at age 10: A prospective
María Hernández-Lorca1, Martin Køster Rimvall2, Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen3
1Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; COPSAC, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Early neurodevelopmental delays were not linked to psychotic experiences (PE) in children by age 10. This study suggests childhood PE may not stem from atypical early development. Further research on persistent PE is needed.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Previous research suggests a link between early developmental delays and later psychotic experiences (PE) in childhood.
- These findings imply a potential neurodevelopmental pathway contributing to childhood PE.
- This study investigates the predictive relationship between early neurodevelopment and PE at age 10.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if neurodevelopment from birth to age 3 predicts psychotic experiences (PE) at age 10.
- To investigate the association between early developmental milestones, language acquisition, cognition, and later PE.
- To determine if early neurodevelopmental trajectories are associated with the emergence of PE in middle childhood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the COPSAC2010 longitudinal cohort (n=700).
- Collected prospective data on child milestones, language, cognition, and general development from infancy to age 3.
- Assessed children for PE at age 10 using clinical evaluations and logistic regression analyses.
Main Results:
- A total of 593 children were evaluated at age 10, with 13% reporting PE.
- No significant associations were found between early life neurodevelopment (birth to age 3) and PE at age 10.
- Excluding children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses did not alter the findings.
Conclusions:
- Delays in early development (first 3 years) are not associated with PE in middle childhood.
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that childhood PE arises from atypical early neurodevelopment.
- Further research is warranted to explore associations with persistent PE.
Background:
Early childhood developmental delays and lower cognitive and motor function have been found to be related to psychotic experiences (PE) in middle childhood. These findings suggest a neurodevelopmental pathway to PE in childhood. This study examined if prospectively assessed neurodevelopment in infancy from birth to age 3 predicted PE at age 10.
Methods:
We included data from the population-based prospective longitudinal cohort COPSAC2010 (n = 700). Parents reported on children milestones starting at 1 week old, language acquisition at 1 and 2 years of age, and children were evaluated on cognition at 2.5 years and general development at 3 years. At age 10, children were clinically assessed regarding PE. We used adjusted logistic regression models to assess the association between developmental within the first years of life and later PE.
Results:
We evaluated 593 children at 10 years regarding PE, of which 77 (13 %) reported having experienced PE. We did not find significant associations between early life neurodevelopment and childhood PE. Analyses excluding children with neurodevelopmental diagnosis (i.e, ADHD, autism and tics) yielded similar results.
Conclusions:
Delays in developmental milestones, language acquisition, and cognition during the first 3 years of life were not associated with PE in middle childhood. The findings do not support that childhood PE occurs associated with atypical early neurodevelopment. Given that we report results on one time point PE, clarification of associations with persistent PE are warranted.
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