Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with brain cortex surface area in children. However, the extent to which childhood SES is prospectively associated with brain morphometry in adulthood is unclear. We tested whether childhood SES (income-to-needs ratio averaged across ages 9, 13, and 17) is prospectively associated with cortical surface morphometry in adulthood. Average childhood income-to-needs ratio had a positive, prospective association with cortical thickness in adulthood in the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and caudal middle frontal gyrus (p < .05, FWE corrected). Childhood income-to-needs ratio also had a positive, prospective association with cortical surface area in adulthood in multiple regions, including the rostral and caudal middle frontal gyri and superior frontal gyrus (p < .05, FWE corrected). Concurrent income-to-needs ratio (measured at age 24) was not associated with cortical thickness or surface area in adulthood. The results underscore the importance of addressing poverty in childhood for brain morphological development.

中文翻译：

---

儿童时期的社会经济地位与成年后的表面形态测量有前瞻性相关


童年社会经济地位（SES）与儿童大脑皮层表面积有关。然而，儿童期社会经济地位与成年期大脑形态测量的前瞻性关联程度尚不清楚。我们测试了儿童期 SES（9、13 和 17 岁平均收入与需求之比）是否与成年期皮质表面形态测量存在前瞻性相关。儿童平均收入与需求之比与成年后中央前回、中央后回和尾部额中回的皮质厚度呈正向、前瞻性相关（ p < .05，FWE 校正）。儿童时期的收入与需求之比也与成年后多个区域的皮质表面积呈正相关，包括额中回和尾部中额回以及额上回（ p < .05，FWE 校正）。同时收入与需求的比率（24 岁时测量）与成年后的皮质厚度或表面积无关。研究结果强调了解决儿童贫困问题对大脑形态发育的重要性。