Socioeconomic status has an effect on the development of brain, says study

The anatomy of the brain is consistently affected by the socioeconomic status, right from childhood to early adulthood, says a recent study. Published in the journal J Neurosci, the findings say the attention to the importance of preschool life is important, as that is the time the association between the socioeconomic status and brain organisation begins.

For the purpose of the research, brain scans of the same individuals were collected between the age of five and 25 years of age. Analysing and comparing the data with correspondence to their parental education and occupation of each participant’s intelligence quotient, showed findings that showed positive associations between socioeconomic status and the size and surface area of brain regions that were involved in functions like learning, language, and emotions.

This is the first time a study has associated greater childhood socioeconomic status with the development of the brain – thereby extending previous SES research that has focused on its relationship to the cortex.

Finally, the researchers identify brain regions underlying the relationship between SES and IQ.