Abstract
BACKGROUND: Head circumference is associated with intelligence and tracks from childhood into adulthood.
METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis and follow-up of head circumference in a total of 29,192 participants between 6 and 30 months of age.
RESULTS: Seven loci reached genome-wide significance in the combined discovery and replication analysis of which three loci near ARFGEF2, MYCL1, and TOP1, were novel. We observed positive genetic correlations for early-life head circumference with adult intracranial volume, years of schooling, childhood and adult intelligence, but not with adult psychiatric, neurological, or personality-related phenotypes.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the biological processes underlying early-life head circumference overlap largely with those of adult head circumference. The associations of early-life head circumference with cognitive outcomes across the life course are partly explained by genetics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 124 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | BMC Medical Genomics |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Jun 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
© 2022. The Author(s).Keywords
- Genetic correlations
- Genome-wide association study
- Head circumference
- Infancy