title: Prenatal origins of temperament: fetal growth, brain structure, and inhibitory control in adolescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Individual differences in the temperamental dimension of effortful control are constitutionally based and have been associated with an adverse prenatal developmental environment, with structural brain alterations presenting a potential mechanism. We investigated this hypothesis for anatomically defined brain regions implicated in cognitive and inhibitory motor control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven 15-16 year old participants with low, medium, or high fetal growth were selected from a longitudinal birth cohort to maximize variation and represent the full normal spectrum of fetal growth. Outcome measures were parent ratings of attention and inhibitory control, thickness and surface area of the orbitofrontal cortex (lateral (LOFC) and medial (MOFC)) and right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), and volumetric measures of the striatum and amygdala.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower birth weight was associated with lower inhibitory control, smaller surface area of LOFC, MOFC and rIFG, lower caudate volume, and thicker MOFC. A mediation model found a significant indirect effect of birth weight on inhibitory control via caudate volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support a neuroanatomical mechanism underlying potential long-term consequences of an adverse fetal developmental environment for behavioral inhibitory control in adolescence and have implications for understanding putative prenatal developmental origins of externalizing behavioral problems and self-control.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, United Kingdom; Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Wolff
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schlotz
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, United Kingdom; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament