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Relationship between structural brain differences and social factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders: A
Celia Maria Araujo1, Matheus Ghossain Barbosa2, Aline Camargo Ramos1
1The Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|June 20, 2025
Summary
Socioeconomic status (SES) significantly impacts brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Lower SES is linked to structural brain changes, affecting diagnosis and severity across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Neuroimaging advances enhance understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms.
- Socioeconomic status (SES) is a critical, yet understudied, determinant of typical and atypical brain development.
- Existing research on SES and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is limited, with varied methodologies for SES assessment.
Approach:
- Systematic review of studies investigating SES influence on brain structure in NDDs.
- Searched six databases, importing 1423 entries into Covidence.
- Synthesized data from 13 studies (7 cohort, 4 case-control, 2 cross-sectional) with 33,789 participants.
Key Points:
- SES indicators (income, neighborhood, education) correlate with neurodevelopmental structural changes.
- Maternal SES during early development affects children's brain structure, behavior, and cognition.
- Parental education remains influential for cognitive performance in older individuals, with evident structural brain differences linked to NDDs like ADHD.
Conclusions:
- SES is a significant factor influencing brain structure and NDDs throughout development.
- Understanding SES-brain structure relationships is crucial for NDD diagnosis and severity assessment.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay between SES and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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