BACKGROUND: Early life socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse experiences may lead to overeating, which is in turn associated with increased body mass index (BMI). However, recent evidence indicated that the association between childhood BMI and overeating might be bidirectional. This bidirectionality prompts the need for further investigation of early life predictors of BMI in childhood. OBJECTIVES: To longitudinally assess the directionality of the association between childhood BMI and perceived overeating and to investigate their antecedent early life predictors. METHODS: The sample included data from 5151 children from the ELSPAC study, collected between 18 months and 11 years of child age. The outcomes were child BMI and mother-reported overeating, assessed at the age of 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. Predictors included maternal BMI, maternal education, single parenthood, financial difficulties and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported by parents and paediatricians. The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied. RESULTS: The mean child's BMI at age 3 was 15.59 kg/m2 and increased to 17.86 kg/m2 at age 11. The percentage of parent-reported overeating increased in the following period, from about 12% at age 3 to 17% at age 11. The results showed temporal stability in perceived overeating and BMI, with a bidirectional relationship strengthening over time. The child's BMI was associated with maternal BMI. Maternal BMI was positively associated with child-perceived overeating, but a stronger effect was found for ACEs. ACEs mediated the impact of maternal education, financial difficulties and single parenthood on overeating. CONCLUSIONS: We observed stable bidirectional associations between BMI and perceived overeating. The results indicated two main pathways: one linked to maternal BMI and early childhood BMI increase followed by perceived overeating and the second associated with ACEs mediating the effect of early childhood social factors on perceived overeating, leading to gradual BMI gain.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Hyperphagia * psychology   epidemiology   MeSH
• Body Mass Index * MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Mothers psychology   statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Adverse Childhood Experiences * statistics & numerical data   psychology   MeSH
• Pediatric Obesity * epidemiology   psychology   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Accelerated epigenetic aging has been associated with changes in cognition. However, due to the lack of neuroimaging epigenetics studies, it is still unclear whether accelerated epigenetic. Aging in young adulthood might underlie the relationship between altered brain dynamics and cognitive functioning. We conducted neuroimaging epigenetics follow-up of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prenatal birth cohort in young adulthood and tested the possible mediatory role of accelerated epigenetic aging in the relationship between dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) and worse cognition. A total of 240 young adults (51% men; 28-30 years, all of European ancestry) participated in the neuroimaging epigenetics follow-up. Buccal swabs were collected to assess DNA methylation and calculate epigenetic aging using Horvath's epigenetic clock. Full-scale IQ was assessed using the Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was acquired using a 3T Siemens Prisma MRI scanner, and DFC was assessed using mixture factor analysis, revealing information about the coverage of different DFC states. In women (but not men), lower coverage of DFC state 4 and thus lower frequency of epochs with high connectivity within the default mode network and between default mode, fronto-parietal, and visual networks was associated with lower full-scale IQ (AdjR2 = 0.05, std. beta = 0.245, p = 0.008). This relationship was mediated by accelerated epigenetic aging (ab = 7.660, SE = 4.829, 95% CI [0.473, 19.264]). In women, accelerated epigenetic aging in young adulthood mediates the relationship between altered brain dynamics and cognitive functioning. Prevention of cognitive decline should target women already in young adulthood.

• MeSH
• Default Mode Network * diagnostic imaging   physiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Epigenesis, Genetic * physiology   MeSH
• Intelligence * physiology   MeSH
• Cognition * physiology   MeSH
• Connectome * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• DNA Methylation MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain * diagnostic imaging   physiology   MeSH
• Nerve Net * diagnostic imaging   physiology   MeSH
• Aging * physiology   genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: Nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy may affect offspring development. We aim to examine the association between prenatal vitamin B12 intake and children's cognitive development. METHODS: A total of 5151 mother-child pairs from the Czech part of ELSPAC study were included in the analysis. Dietary information was obtained during pregnancy using food frequency questionnaire. Parents reported on their child's speech and language development at 18 months, 3, 5 and 7 years. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured at 8 years in subcohort of 854 children. RESULTS: Children of mothers with higher vitamin B12 intake demonstrated higher scores in language (B = 0.20, 95% CI 0.06, 0.34) and talking and understanding (B = 2.39, 95% CI 0.97, 3.80) in a fully adjusted model at 18 months. Additionally, they were more likely to get maximum points in the intelligibility test at age 3 (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.09) in unadjusted model, however, not in fully adjusted model. We found a positive effect of higher vitamin B12 intake on verbal IQ (B = 1.08, 95% CI 0.09, 2.08). CONCLUSIONS: We identified consistent associations between prenatal vitamin B12 intake and children's cognitive development. The results suggest that inadequate vitamin B12 during pregnancy may negatively affect children's cognitive development, particularly in speech and language.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Intelligence * MeSH
• Intelligence Tests * MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Vitamin B 12 * MeSH
• Child Development MeSH
• Language Development MeSH
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

BACKGROUND: Maternal perinatal mental health is essential for optimal brain development and mental health of the offspring. We evaluated whether maternal depression during the perinatal period and early life of the offspring might be selectively associated with altered brain function during emotion regulation and whether those may further correlate with physiological responses and the typical use of emotion regulation strategies. METHODS: Participants included 163 young adults (49% female, 28-30 years) from the ELSPAC prenatal birth cohort who took part in its neuroimaging follow-up and had complete mental health data from the perinatal period and early life. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured mid-pregnancy, 2 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months after birth. Regulation of negative affect was studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging, concurrent skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate variability (HRV), and assessment of typical emotion regulation strategy. RESULTS: Maternal depression 2 weeks after birth interacted with sex and showed a relationship with greater brain response during emotion regulation in a right frontal cluster in women. Moreover, this brain response mediated the relationship between greater maternal depression 2 weeks after birth and greater suppression of emotions in young adult women (ab = 0.11, SE = 0.05, 95% CI [0.016; 0.226]). The altered brain response during emotion regulation and the typical emotion regulation strategy were also as sociated with SCR and HRV. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that maternal depression 2 weeks after birth predisposes female offspring to maladaptive emotion regulation skills and particularly to emotion suppression in young adulthood.

• MeSH
• Depression physiopathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Emotional Regulation * physiology   MeSH
• Galvanic Skin Response physiology   MeSH
• Cohort Studies MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
• Mothers psychology   MeSH
• Brain diagnostic imaging   physiopathology   MeSH
• Heart Rate physiology   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The pace of biological aging varies between people independently of chronological age and mitochondria dysfunction is a key hallmark of biological aging. We hypothesized that higher functional impact (FI) score of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants might contribute to premature aging and tested the relationships between a novel FI score of mtDNA variants and epigenetic and biological aging in young adulthood. A total of 81 participants from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prenatal birth cohort had good quality genetic data as well as blood-based markers to estimate biological aging in the late 20. A subset of these participants (n = 69) also had epigenetic data to estimate epigenetic aging in the early 20s using Horvath's epigenetic clock. The novel FI score was calculated based on 7 potentially pathogenic mtDNA variants. Greater FI score of mtDNA variants was associated with older epigenetic age in the early 20s and older biological age in the late 20s. These medium to large effects were independent of sex, current BMI, cigarette smoking, cannabis, and alcohol use. These findings suggest that elevated FI score of mtDNA variants might contribute to premature aging in young adulthood.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Epigenesis, Genetic * MeSH
• Genetic Variation MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• DNA, Mitochondrial * genetics   MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Aging, Premature genetics   MeSH
• Aging * genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

White matter (WM) development has been studied extensively, but most studies used cross-sectional data, and to the best of our knowledge, none of them considered the possible effects of biological (vs. chronological) age. Therefore, we conducted a longitudinal multimodal study of WM development and studied changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the different WM tracts and their relationship with cortical thickness-based measures of brain aging in young adulthood. A total of 105 participants from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prenatal birth cohort underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the age of 23-24, and the age of 28-30 years. At both time points, FA in the different WM tracts was extracted using the JHU atlas, and brain age gap estimate (BrainAGE) was calculated using the Neuroanatomical Age Prediction using R (NAPR) model based on cortical thickness maps. Changes in FA and the speed of cortical brain aging were calculated as the difference between the respective variables in the late vs. early 20s. We demonstrated tract-specific increases as well as decreases in FA, which indicate that the WM microstructure continues to develop in the third decade of life. Moreover, the significant interaction between the speed of cortical brain aging, tract, and sex on mean FA revealed that a greater speed of cortical brain aging in young adulthood predicted greater decreases in FA in the bilateral cingulum and left superior longitudinal fasciculus in young adult men. Overall, these changes in FA in the WM tracts in young adulthood point out the protracted development of WM microstructure, particularly in men.

• MeSH
• Anisotropy MeSH
• White Matter * diagnostic imaging   growth & development   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain * growth & development   diagnostic imaging   anatomy & histology   MeSH
• Aging * physiology   MeSH
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Onemocnění mozku, jako jsou kognitivní poruchy a deprese, jsou nejvýznamnější příčinou zdravotního postižení a pracovní neschopnosti u starších dospělých. Naším cílem je studovat úlohu biologického stárnutí ve zranitelnosti vůči kognitivním a afektivním poruchám z hlediska celoživotní perspektivy. V pracovním balíčku 1 budeme analyzovat longitudinální údaje o kognitivních schopnostech a depresivních příznacích v české části studie HAPIEE (n = 8 856 jedinců ve věku 58 let na začátku studie v roce 2002, 53 % žen). Vzhledem k tomu, že nedávné studie odhalily u lidí mladších 30 let změny na mozku, dříve očekávány pouze ve starším věku, v pracovním balíčku 2 pozveme členy prenatální kohorty z Evropské longitudinální studie těhotenství a dětství (ELSPAC), kteří se v roce 2015 zúčastnili neurozobrazovacího vyšetření (n = 131; věk 23-24 let; 53% žen) na druhé převyšetření (věk 28-29 let). Dále budeme hodnotit jejich DNA epigenetický věk, biologický věk, kardiovaskulární rizikové faktory, kognici, náladu a úzkost.; Brain disorders, such as cognitive impairment and depression, are strongest contributors to disability in older adults. We aim to take a life-course perspective and study the role of biological aging on vulnerability to cognitive and affective disorders. In work package 1, we will analyze longitudinal data on cognitive performance and depression from the Czech arm of the study Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE; n=8 856 individuals, aged 58 years at baseline in 2002, 53% women). Since recent studies suggest that alterations in the brain, previously believed to occur only in later life, are present already in young adults before they reach their 30th birthday, work package 2 of the current project will invite members of the prenatal birth cohort from European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) who took part in its neuroimaging follow-up in 2015 (n=131; age 23-24; 53% women) to a second neuroimaging follow-up (age 28-29) and assess their DNA epigenetic age, biological age, cardiovascular risk factors, cognition, mood and anxiety.

• Keywords
• biomarkery, biomarkers, duševní zdraví, Mental health, stárnutí, aging, mozek, brain,

• NML Publication type
• závěrečné zprávy o řešení grantu AZV MZ ČR

Heavy maternal alcohol drinking during pregnancy has been associated with altered neurodevelopment in the child but the effects of low-dose alcohol drinking are less clear and any potential safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy is not known. We evaluated the effects of prenatal alcohol on reward-related behavior and substance use in young adulthood and the potential sex differences therein. Participants were members of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prenatal birth cohort who participated in its neuroimaging follow-up in young adulthood. A total of 191 participants (28-30 years; 51% men) had complete data on prenatal exposure to alcohol, current substance use, and fMRI data from young adulthood. Maternal alcohol drinking was assessed during mid-pregnancy and pre-conception. Brain response to reward anticipation and reward feedback was measured using the Monetary Incentive Delay task and substance use in young adulthood was assessed using a self-report questionnaire. We showed that even a moderate exposure to alcohol in mid-pregnancy but not pre-conception was associated with robust effects on brain response to reward feedback (six frontal, one parietal, one temporal, and one occipital cluster) and with greater cannabis use in both men and women 30 years later. Moreover, mid-pregnancy but not pre-conception exposure to alcohol was associated with greater cannabis use in young adulthood and these effects were independent of maternal education and maternal depression during pregnancy. Further, the extent of cannabis use in the late 20 s was predicted by the brain response to reward feedback in three out of the nine prenatal alcohol-related clusters and these effects were independent of current alcohol use. Sex differences in the brain response to reward outcome emerged only during the no loss vs. loss contrast. Young adult men exposed to alcohol prenatally had significantly larger brain response to no loss vs. loss in the putamen and occipital region than women exposed to prenatal alcohol. Therefore, we conclude that even moderate exposure to alcohol prenatally has long-lasting effects on brain function during reward processing and risk of cannabis use in young adulthood.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
• Brain * diagnostic imaging   drug effects   physiopathology   MeSH
• Reward * MeSH
• Alcohol Drinking * psychology   adverse effects   MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects * physiopathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

OBJECTIVE: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of hospitalization and death among children. Compared to environmental factors, less attention in injury preventive efforts has been paid to how individual characteristics relate to the risk of injury. Using a large prospective cohort, the current study assessed the longitudinal impact of early-life temperament on the cumulative number of injuries until mid-adolescence. METHODS: The data came from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC-CZ). Temperament was evaluated by mothers when children were 3 years old (N = 3,545). The main outcome was the pediatrician-reported sum of child's injuries from age 3 to 15 (seven timepoints). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to determine classes based on temperamental dimensions and then extended to a mixture model with a distal count outcome. The covariates included maternal conflict and attachment, sex, family structure, and maternal education. RESULTS: The LPA determined the existence of three classes: shy children (8.1% of the sample; lowest activity/highest shyness), outgoing children (50.8%; highest activity/lowest shyness), and average: children (41.1%; middle values). Results from a mixture model showed that the outgoing temperament was associated with the highest longitudinal risk for injuries, as both average children (IRR = 0.89 [0.80, 0.99]), and the shy children (IRR = 0.80 [0.68, 0.95]) had lower risk. CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood temperamental differences can have long-term effects on injury risk. Highly active children showed the highest risk for future injuries, suggesting that these characteristics make them more likely to be involved in novel and potentially dangerous situations.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Mothers * MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Temperament * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Dental caries is a widespread multifactorial disease, caused by the demineralization of hard dental tissues. Susceptibility to dental caries is partially genetically conditioned; this study was aimed at finding an association of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding proteins involved in amelogenesis with this disease in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 15 SNPs in ALOX15, AMBN, AMELX, KLK4, TFIP11, and TUFT1 genes were analyzed in 150 children with primary dentition and 611 children with permanent teeth with/without dental caries from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) cohort. RESULTS: Dental caries in primary dentition was associated with SNPs in AMELX (rs17878486) and KLK4 (rs198968, rs2242670), and dental caries in permanent dentition with SNPs in AMELX (rs17878486) and KLK4 (rs2235091, rs2242670, rs2978642), (p ≤ 0.05). No significant differences between cases and controls were observed in the allele or genotype frequencies of any of the selected SNPs in ALOX15, AMBN, TFIP11, and TUFT1 genes (p > 0.05). Some KLK4 haplotypes were associated with dental caries in permanent dentition (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study, we found that although the SNPs in AMELX and KLK4 are localized in intronic regions and their functional significance has not yet been determined, they are associated with susceptibility to dental caries in children. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: AMELX and KLK4 variants could be considered in the risk assessment of dental caries, especially in permanent dentition, in the European Caucasian population.

• MeSH
• Amelogenesis * genetics   MeSH
• Amelogenin genetics   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Dental Caries * genetics   epidemiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH