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The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Children’s Brain Structure

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  • Katarzyna Jednoróg
  • Irene Altarelli
  • Karla Monzalvo
  • Joel Fluss
  • Jessica Dubois
  • Catherine Billard
  • Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz
  • Franck Ramus

Abstract

Children’s cognitive abilities and school achievements are deeply affected by parental socioeconomic status (SES). Numerous studies have reported lower cognitive performance in relation to unfavorable environments, but little is known about the effects of SES on the child’s neural structures. Here, we systematically explore the association between SES and brain anatomy through MRI in a group of 23 healthy 10-year-old children with a wide range of parental SES. We confirm behaviorally that language is one of the cognitive domains most affected by SES. Furthermore, we observe widespread modifications in children’s brain structure. A lower SES is associated with smaller volumes of gray matter in bilateral hippocampi, middle temporal gyri, left fusiform and right inferior occipito-temporal gyri, according to both volume- and surface-based morphometry. Moreover, we identify local gyrification effects in anterior frontal regions, supportive of a potential developmental lag in lower SES children. In contrast, we found no significant association between SES and white matter architecture. These findings point to the potential neural mediators of the link between unfavourable environmental conditions and cognitive skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Katarzyna Jednoróg & Irene Altarelli & Karla Monzalvo & Joel Fluss & Jessica Dubois & Catherine Billard & Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz & Franck Ramus, 2012. "The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Children’s Brain Structure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(8), pages 1-9, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0042486
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042486
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jamie L Hanson & Amitabh Chandra & Barbara L Wolfe & Seth D Pollak, 2011. "Association between Income and the Hippocampus," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(5), pages 1-8, May.
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    1. Seth Pollak & Barbara L. Wolfe, 2020. "How Developmental Neuroscience Can Help Address the Problem of Child Poverty," NBER Working Papers 26842, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Edouard Gentaz & Liliane Sprenger-Charolles & Anne Theurel & Pascale Colé, 2013. "Reading Comprehension in a Large Cohort of French First Graders from Low Socio-Economic Status Families: A 7-Month Longitudinal Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-9, November.
    3. Luca Ronfani & Liza Vecchi Brumatti & Marika Mariuz & Veronica Tognin & Maura Bin & Valentina Ferluga & Alessandra Knowles & Marcella Montico & Fabio Barbone, 2015. "The Complex Interaction between Home Environment, Socioeconomic Status, Maternal IQ and Early Child Neurocognitive Development: A Multivariate Analysis of Data Collected in a Newborn Cohort Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-13, May.

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