Xia Charley, Lu Yuechen, Zhou Zhuzhuoyu, Marchi Mattia, Kweon Hyeokmoon, Ning Yuchen, Liewald David C M, Anderson Emma L, Koellinger Philipp D, Cox Simon R, Boks Marco P, Hill W David
Lothian Birth Cohort studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Mol Psychiatry. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03047-4.
Socioeconomic status (SES) influences physical and mental health, however its relation with brain structure is less well documented. Here, we examine the role of SES on brain structure using Mendelian randomisation. First, we conduct a multivariate genome-wide association study of SES using educational attainment, household income, occupational prestige, and area-based social deprivation, with an effective sample size of N = 947,466. We identify 554 loci associated with SES and distil these loci into those that are common across those four traits. Second, using an independent sample of ~35,000 we provide evidence to suggest that SES is protective against white matter hyperintensities as a proportion of intracranial volume (WMHicv). Third, we find that differences in SES still afford a protective effect against WMHicv, independent of that made by cognitive ability. Our results suggest that SES is a modifiable risk factor, causal in the maintenance of cognitive ability in older-age.
社会经济地位（SES）会影响身心健康，然而其与脑结构的关系却鲜有文献记载。在此，我们利用孟德尔随机化方法研究SES在脑结构中的作用。首先，我们对SES进行了多变量全基因组关联研究，使用了受教育程度、家庭收入、职业声望和基于区域的社会剥夺等指标，有效样本量为N = 947,466。我们确定了554个与SES相关的基因座，并将这些基因座提炼为在这四个特征中共同存在的基因座。其次，我们使用一个约35,000人的独立样本，提供证据表明SES对作为颅内体积一部分的白质高信号（WMHicv）具有保护作用。第三，我们发现SES的差异对白质高信号强度仍具有保护作用，这与认知能力无关。我们的研究结果表明，SES是一个可改变的风险因素，对老年人认知能力的维持具有因果关系。
