Environmental predominance on brain structure and connectivity in language-related regions: a multimodal twin study in adolescence
- 1Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Abstract
Language alterations are recognized as early markers of psychopathological vulnerability, yet genetic and environmental factors underlying language-related brain regions remain unknown. We applied univariate twin analyses and risk-discordant comparisons to multimodal dataset from 31 healthy twin pairs (9-31 years) and 17 pairs discordant for psychopathological risk (10-27 years). Gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and functional interactions, specifically effective connectivity (EC), were assessed in eight bilateral language-related regions, alongside linguistic, emotional-behavioural, temperamental, and personality-related phenotypes. In healthy twin pairs (27-31 pairs, depending on data completeness), genetic and environmental determinants were estimated for all phenotypes. In 17 pairs discordant for psychopathological risk, intra-pair neuroimaging differences were tested for association with psychopathological discordance and zygosity, and individual brain measures were compared across high-risk twins, their low-risk co-twins, and healthy controls. Environmental factors predominated in structural and functional brain variability, while genetic contributions were limited, region-specific. Narrative fluency and psychological traits showed stronger heritability. Findings converged on the right middle frontal gyrus, where GMV and CT alterations reflected non-shared environment and risk expression. Despite the small sample, preliminary results suggest neurobiological vulnerability in language networks arises from environmental rather than genetic factors, informing environmental susceptibility to adolescent mental illness.
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BibTeX
@misc{tassi2026environmental,
title = {{Environmental predominance on brain structure and connectivity in language-related regions: a multimodal twin study in adolescence}},
author = {E. Tassi and C. Colli and A. Peyvandi and L. De Nardi and C. Pansitta and S. Busilacchi and F. M. Siri and G. Delvecchio and E. Maggioni and C. Bonivento and M. Mauri and C. Fagnani and E. Medda and M. Nobile and P. Brambilla},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.30.26364387},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.26364387v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Environmental predominance on brain structure and connectivity in language-related regions: a multimodal twin study in adolescence
AU - E. Tassi
AU - C. Colli
AU - A. Peyvandi
AU - L. De Nardi
AU - C. Pansitta
AU - S. Busilacchi
AU - F. M. Siri
AU - G. Delvecchio
AU - E. Maggioni
AU - C. Bonivento
AU - M. Mauri
AU - C. Fagnani
AU - E. Medda
AU - M. Nobile
AU - P. Brambilla
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.30.26364387
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.26364387v1
AB - Language alterations are recognized as early markers of psychopathological vulnerability, yet genetic and environmental factors underlying language-related brain regions remain unknown. We applied univariate twin analyses and risk-discordant comparisons to multimodal dataset from 31 healthy twin pairs (9-31 years) and 17 pairs discordant for psychopathological risk (10-27 years). Gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and functional interactions, specifically effective connectivity (EC), were assessed in eight bilateral language-related regions, alongside linguistic, emotional-behavioural, temperamental, and personality-related phenotypes. In healthy twin pairs (27-31 pairs, depending on data completeness), genetic and environmental determinants were estimated for all phenotypes. In 17 pairs discordant for psychopathological risk, intra-pair neuroimaging differences were tested for association with psychopathological discordance and zygosity, and individual brain measures were compared across high-risk twins, their low-risk co-twins, and healthy controls. Environmental factors predominated in structural and functional brain variability, while genetic contributions were limited, region-specific. Narrative fluency and psychological traits showed stronger heritability. Findings converged on the right middle frontal gyrus, where GMV and CT alterations reflected non-shared environment and risk expression. Despite the small sample, preliminary results suggest neurobiological vulnerability in language networks arises from environmental rather than genetic factors, informing environmental susceptibility to adolescent mental illness.
ER -