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Published on: December 18, 2016
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Human development, inequality, and their associations with brain structure across 29 countries.
Vicente Medel1, Luz M Alliende2, Richard Bethlehem3,4
1Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), https://ror.org/0326knt82Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
Summary
Country-level development and inequality impact brain structure in healthy adults. Higher development correlates with larger hippocampi and cortical surface area, while greater inequality is linked to smaller hippocampi and thinner cortices.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sociology
- Global Health
Background:
- Macro-social and environmental factors, like national development and inequality, are linked to brain disorders.
- The precise relationship between these systemic environmental factors and brain structure is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between a country's development level and inequality and the brain structure of healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional meta-regression analysis was performed.
- Data from 145 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, including 7,962 healthy adults from 29 countries, were pooled.
- T1-based brain imaging data were analyzed in relation to country-level development and inequality metrics.
Main Results:
- Higher human development was associated with larger hippocampi and expanded global cortical surface area, especially in frontal regions.
- Increased national inequality correlated with smaller hippocampal volumes and reduced cortical thickness across the brain.
Conclusions:
- Macro-economic conditions are reflected in the brain structure of a country's population.
- These findings may help explain variations in brain disorder incidence globally.
- Acknowledging cross-country brain structure variability is crucial for developing globalized precision medicine tools.
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