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Linking pregnancy- and birth-related risk factors to a multivariate fusion of child cortical structure
Linn R S Lindseth1,2, Dani Beck1,2, Lars T Westlye3,4,5
1Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway.
Insights
Pregnancy and birth complications impact child brain development, affecting cortical surface area and thickness. Early life exposures like low birth weight and prematurity are linked to significant brain structure variations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Early life exposures, including pregnancy and birth factors, critically influence offspring brain development.
- Previous research often examined pregnancy and birth variables in isolation, limiting a comprehensive understanding of their impact.
- Cortical brain MRI features offer detailed insights into brain structure and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between a wide array of pregnancy- and birth-related variables and multivariate cortical brain MRI features.
- To identify specific dimensions of pregnancy and birth factors that correlate with cortical structure variations in children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 8,396 children (aged 8.9–11.1 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
- Employed multiple correspondence analysis and factor analysis of mixed data to identify four key pregnancy/birth dimensions.
- Applied linked independent component analysis to fuse vertex-wise cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and curvature measures.
- Used linear mixed-effects models to assess associations between identified dimensions and MRI features.
Main Results:
- Maternal pregnancy complications and low birth weight/prematurity were associated with smaller global SA.
- Low birth weight/prematurity showed complex regional cortical patterns involving bidirectional SA and CT variations.
- Newborn birth complications were linked to specific regional patterns: smaller occipital/larger temporal areas, frontal variations, and reduced CT.
- Maternal substance use did not show significant associations with child cortical structure.
Conclusions:
- A multifactorial and multivariate approach successfully linked pregnancy complications, fetal size, and prematurity to global SA and regional cortical signatures.
- Findings highlight the significant impact of specific pregnancy and birth factors on diverse aspects of child brain structure.
- Cortical MRI features provide a sensitive measure for detecting the effects of early life exposures on brain development.
Abstract:
Pregnancy- and birth-related factors affect offspring brain development, emphasizing the importance of early life exposures. While most previous studies have focused on a few variables in isolation, here we investigated associations between a broad range of pregnancy- and birth-related variables and multivariate cortical brain MRI features. Our sample consisted of 8,396 children aged 8.9 to 11.1 y from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Through multiple correspondence analysis and factor analysis of mixed data, we distilled numerous pregnancy and birth variables into four overarching dimensions; maternal pregnancy complications, maternal substance use, low birth weight and prematurity, and newborn birth complications. Vertex-wise measures of cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and curvature were fused using linked independent component analysis. Linear mixed-effects models showed that maternal pregnancy complications and low birth weight and prematurity were associated with smaller global SA. Additionally, low birth weight and prematurity was associated with complex regional cortical patterns reflecting bidirectional variations in both SA and CT. Newborn birth complications showed multivariate patterns reflecting smaller occipital- and larger temporal area, bidirectional frontal area variations, and reduced CT across the cortex. Maternal substance use showed no associations with child cortical structure. By employing a multifactorial and multivariate morphometric fusion approach, we connected complications during pregnancy and fetal size and prematurity to global SA and specific regional signatures across child cortical MRI features.
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