Journal Article

Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide associations between DNA methylation at birth and childhood cognitive skills

Send, Tabea Sarah, Oken, Emily, Nour, Baïz, Sunyer Jordi, Annesi-Maesano Isabella, Mulder, Rosa, Kvist Tuomas, Lahti Jari M T, Deuschle, Michael, Rifas-Shiman Sheryl L, Frank, Josef, Tuominen, Samuli T, Sharp, Gemma, Streit Fabian, Cecil Charlotte A M, Relton, Caroline L, Marie-France, Hivert, Cardenas, Andres, Gilles, Maria, Rai Dheeraj, de, Agostini Maria, Sirignano Lea, Räikkönen Katri, Holland, Nina, Ferrer, Muriel, Alemany, Silvia, Havdahl Alexandra, Zillich Lea, Tindula Gwen, Tiemeier Henning, Eskenazi, Brenda, Czamara Darina, Rietschel Marcella, Witt, Stephanie H, London, Stephanie J, Felix, Janine F, Pesce Giancarlo, Neumann, Alexander, Huen, Karen, Caramaschi Doretta

2022

Overview

Cognitive skills are a strong predictor of a wide range of later life outcomes. Genetic and epigenetic associations across the genome explain some of the variation in general cognitive abilities in the general population and it is plausible that epigenetic associations might arise from prenatal environmental exposures and/or genetic variation early in life. We investigated the association between cord blood DNA methylation at birth and cognitive skills assessed in children from eight pregnancy cohorts within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium across overall (total N = 2196), verbal (total N = 2206) and non-verbal cognitive scores (total N = 3300). The associations at single CpG sites were weak for all of the cognitive domains investigated. One region near DUSP22 on chromosome 6 was associated with non-verbal cognition in a model adjusted for maternal IQ. We conclude that there is little evidence to support the idea that variation in cord blood DNA methylation at single CpG sites is associated with cognitive skills and further studies are needed to confirm the association at DUSP22.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Adults / Autism / Birth / Brain research / Child & adolescent psychiatry / Childhood / Children / Chromosome 6 / Chromosomes / Cognition & reasoning / Cognitive ability / Consortia / Cord blood / CpG islands / Deoxyribonucleic acid / DNA / DNA methylation / Educational attainment / Environmental health / Epidemiology / Epigenetics / Gene expression / Genetic diversity / Genomes / Health sciences / Medical research / Mental disorders / Mental health / Meta-analysis / Mortality / Pregnancy / Prenatal experience / Prenatal exposure / Public health / Socioeconomic factors