Tiny alterations in the wiring in the brain could be behind a link between childhood intelligence, low birthweight and psychotic experiences in later life, British researchers say.
Although it is known that there are risk factors for the development of psychosis, including low birthweight, it remains unclear as to the role the brain’s wiring might play in turning a common risk factor into a clinical disorder.
However, the findings from a new study, published in this week’s edition of JAMA Psychiatry, could help to improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in young people.
The research by Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), King’s College London and the University of Bristol, and funded by Medical Research Council, used data from more than 14,000 people from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study who had been assessed from birth to adulthood.
Scanning 250 people using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – half of whom had previously reported psychotic experiences – subtle differences in brain connection pathways were detected among those who had experienced symptoms of psychosis, compared to those who had not.
Dr Mark Drakesmith, from CUBRIC, said: “It is particularly striking that about 20% of the relationship between low birthweight and psychotic experiences can be explained by changes in these neural circuits. This provides strong evidence for a specific neurodevelopmental pathway to psychosis.”
“Using this combination of statistical modelling and brain imaging can help uncover different mechanisms for a range of psychiatric disorders, which can ultimately lead to more refined and finely-tuned methods for diagnosing and treating mental illness.”
Professor Anthony David from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, who led the study said: “What is so important about our results is that, by taking a developmental perspective, we have raised the possibility that in future, brain imaging may be used to guide interventions to prevent young people with certain risk factors developing serious mental health problems.”
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