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Socioeconomic Status and the Cerebellar Grey Matter Volume. Data from a Well-Characterised Population Sample

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Abstract

The cerebellum is highly sensitive to adverse environmental factors throughout the life span. Socioeconomic deprivation has been associated with greater inflammatory and cardiometabolic risk, and poor neurocognitive function. Given the increasing awareness of the association between early-life adversities on cerebellar structure, we aimed to explore the relationship between early life (ESES) and current socioeconomic status (CSES) and cerebellar volume. T1-weighted MRI was used to create models of cerebellar grey matter volumes in 42 adult neurologically healthy males selected from the Psychological, Social and Biological Determinants of Ill Health study. The relationship between potential risk factors, including ESES, CSES and cerebellar grey matter volumes were examined using multiple regression techniques. We also examined if greater multisystem physiological risk index—derived from inflammatory and cardiometabolic risk markers—mediated the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and cerebellar grey matter volume. Both ESES and CSES explained the greatest variance in cerebellar grey matter volume, with age and alcohol use as a covariate in the model. Low CSES explained additional significant variance to low ESES on grey matter decrease. The multisystem physiological risk index mediated the relationship between both early life and current SES and grey matter volume in cerebellum. In a randomly selected sample of neurologically healthy males, poorer socioeconomic status was associated with a smaller cerebellar volume. Early and current socioeconomic status and the multisystem physiological risk index also apparently influence cerebellar volume. These findings provide data on the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and a brain region highly sensitive to environmental factors.

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Funding

We thank Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation for their support. This work was funded by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, a partnership between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Council and the University of Glasgow, supported by the Scottish Government. The Glasgow Centre for Population Health had a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish and the preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Jonathan Cavanagh, Rajeev Krishnadas, Keith Millar & John McLean

  2. Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Ian Ford & Alex McConnachie

  3. Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    G. David Batty

  4. Clinical Epidemiology Group, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, England, UK

    G. David Batty

  5. Scottish Government, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

    Harry Burns

  6. Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Paul G. Shiels

  7. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Kevin A. Deans

  8. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

    Kevin A. Deans

  9. Glasgow Clinical Research Facility, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Agnes McGinty & Chris J. Packard

  10. Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Jennifer S. McLean & Carol Tannahill

  11. Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Naveed Sattar

  12. Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Yoga N. Velupillai

  13. Institute of Mental Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Administration Building, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0XH, UK

    Jonathan Cavanagh

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  1. Jonathan Cavanagh
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  2. Rajeev Krishnadas
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  3. G. David Batty
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  14. Yoga N. Velupillai
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Correspondence to Jonathan Cavanagh.

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Cavanagh, J., Krishnadas, R., Batty, G.D. et al. Socioeconomic Status and the Cerebellar Grey Matter Volume. Data from a Well-Characterised Population Sample. Cerebellum 12, 882–891 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-013-0497-4

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