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Polygenic scores for autism are associated with neurite density in adults and children from the general population.

ABSTRACT: Genetic variants linked to autism are thought to change cognition and behaviour by altering the structure and function of the brain. Although a substantial body of literature has identified structural brain differences in autism, it is unknown whether autism-associated common genetic variants are linked to changes in cortical macro- and micro-structure. We investigated this using neuroimaging and genetic data from adults (UK Biobank, N = 31,748) and children (ABCD, N = 4,928). Using polygenic scores and genetic correlations we observe a robust negative association between common variants for autism and a magnetic resonance imaging derived phenotype for neurite density (intracellular volume fraction) in the general population. This result is consistent across both children and adults, in both the cortex and in white matter tracts, and confirmed using polygenic scores and genetic correlations. There were no sex differences in this association. Mendelian randomisation analyses provide no evidence for a causal relationship between autism and intracellular volume fraction, although this should be revisited using better powered instruments. Overall, this study provides evidence for shared common variant genetics between autism and cortical neurite density.

SUBMITTER: Gu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11030520 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Polygenic scores for autism are associated with neurite density in adults and children from the general population.

Gu Yuanjun Y Maria-Stauffer Eva E Bedford Saashi A SA Romero-Garcia Rafael R Grove Jakob J Børglum Anders D AD Martin Hilary H Baron-Cohen Simon S Bethlehem Richard A I RAI Warrier Varun V

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 20240413

Genetic variants linked to autism are thought to change cognition and behaviour by altering the structure and function of the brain. Although a substantial body of literature has identified structural brain differences in autism, it is unknown whether autism-associated common genetic variants are linked to changes in cortical macro- and micro-structure. We investigated this using neuroimaging and genetic data from adults (UK Biobank, N = 31,748) and children (ABCD, N = 4,928). Using polygenic sc ...[more]

PMID: 38645251

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Dataset Information

Polygenic scores for autism are associated with neurite density in adults and children from the general population.

Publications

Polygenic scores for autism are associated with neurite density in adults and children from the general population.

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