biostudies-literatureZiegler GUCLH Biomedical Research CentreJacobs FoundationMedical Research CouncilNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Brain and Behavior Research FoundationWellcome Trust3392-3402https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7375075biostudies-literatureUnknown41(12)Socio-economic disadvantage increases exposure to life stressors. Animal research suggests early life stressors impact later neurodevelopment, including myelin developmental growth. To determine how early life disadvantage may affect myelin growth in adolescence and young adulthood, we analysed data from an accelerated longitudinal neuroimaging study measuring magnetisation transfer (MT), a myelin-sensitive marker, in 288 participants (149 female) between 14 and 25 years of age at baseline. We found that early life economic disadvantage before age 12, measured by a neighbourhood poverty index, was associated with slower myelin growth. This association was observed for magnetization transfer in cortical, subcortical and core white matter regions, and also in key subcortical nuclei. ParticipHuman brain mappingChildhood socio-economic disadvantage predicts reduced myelin growth across adolescence and young adulthood.PMC7375075NIHR200256095844098362/Z/12/Z211155/Z/18/ZNF‐SI‐0514‐101572017-1261-04NF-SI-0514-1015727023NF-SI-0513-10051Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health ResNF-SI-0510-102282017‐1261‐04Senior Investigator Award095844/7/11/ZMC_G0802534Goodyer IMDolan RJMoutoussis MHauser TUFearon PJones PBZiegler GLindenberger UFonagy PBullmore ETfalseChildhood socio-economic disadvantage predicts reduced myelin growth across adolescence and young adulthood.Socio-economic disadvantage increases exposure to life stressors. Animal research suggests early life stressors impact later neurodevelopment, including myelin developmental growth. To determine how early life disadvantage may affect myelin growth in adolescence and young adulthood, we analysed data from an accelerated longitudinal neuroimaging study measuring magnetisation transfer (MT), a myelin-sensitive marker, in 288 participants (149 female) between 14 and 25 years of age at baseline. We found that early life economic disadvantage before age 12, measured by a neighbourhood poverty index, was associated with slower myelin growth. This association was observed for magnetization transfer in cortical, subcortical and core white matter regions, and also in key subcortical nuclei. Particip2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Aug2025-04-19T11:40:02.816Z2025-04-19T11:40:02.816ZS-EPMC73750753243238310.1002/hbm.25024