The causal effects between selenium levels and the brain cortical structure: A two ‐sample Mendelian randomization study

This study utilizes 11 genetic variants associated with Se level variations, extracted from a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) encompassed circulating Se levels (n = 5477) and toenail Se levels (n = 4162) in the European population. Outcome data were sourced from the summary statistics of the ENIGMA Consortium, comprising GWAS data from 51,666 individuals. The variables include cortical surface area (SA), thickness (TH) at the global level, and 34 functional cortical regions evaluated by m agnetic resonance imaging. The inverse-variance-weighted method was used as the primary estimate. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to detect potential violations of assumptions underlying MR.ResultsAt the global level, Se levels were not correlated with SA but showed a significant negative correlation with TH (β = −0.00485 mm, SE = 0.00192,p = .0115). Heterogeneity was observed across different brain regions, with positive correlations found between Se levels and the TH of the parahippocampal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and frontal pole, whereas negative correlations were found with the TH of the inferior parietal lobe and middle temporal lobe. Regarding SA, Se levels exhibit positive correlations with the pars triangularis, caudal anterior cingulate, inferior parietal lobe, and banks of the superior temporal sulcus. Conversely, negative correlations were observed with the medial orbitofrontal cortex, posterior cingulate gyr us, insula, and ...

Source: Brain and Behavior - October 31, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Xiaowei Zhang, Yuqing Zhong, Kejun He Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research