Researchers trace mental health risks to early fetal brain gene activity.
A growing body of research suggests that the roots of some of the most challenging brain disorders may be planted much earlier in life than previously thought. New findings from a collaboration between researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and Yale University indicate that certain mental health and neurodegenerative diseases may begin during the earliest stages of fetal brain development. The study, published in Nature Communications, looked at how thousands of disease-linked genes behave in the earliest brain-forming cells. These cells, called neural stem cells, are the foundation for all other brain cells. By studying how these genes operate before birth, scientists believe they can better understand how brain diseases take shape and possibly find ways to stop them before symptoms appear.
To explore this theory, researchers compiled a list of nearly 3,000 genes that have been connected to mental and neurodegenerative conditions. They then used a combination of biological data from human and mouse brains, along with lab-grown models, to simulate how these genes behave in fetal brain cells. The results showed that many of these genes are already active early in brain formation and can influence how brain cells develop and connect. When these genes function differently or become disrupted, the result may be structural changes in the brain that later lead to conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, depression, or even Parkinson’s disease.
This work presents a major shift in how the scientific community may come to understand brain disorders. Until now, most research has focused on adult brains or brains of those already diagnosed. But by looking backward, toward the very start of brain development, researchers have found that some of the most concerning conditions may have origins long before birth. Some of the gene changes observed in the study were linked to smaller brain size, fluid buildup, or irregular connections between neurons. All of these changes are associated with the symptoms found in different conditions affecting thinking, mood, behavior, or memory.
The findings could open new doors for treatment research, especially around when and how doctors might intervene. Knowing the timing of when certain genes are most active could help pinpoint a window for treatment, perhaps even before birth or during infancy. While direct treatment at such early stages may not be feasible right now, the information could shape future studies around gene therapies, medications, or screening tools that one day help predict or prevent these diseases. Understanding which cell types are affected first may also help researchers design drugs that target the problem more precisely, avoiding some of the side effects common in current treatment approaches.
Importantly, this study also highlights how much remains unknown about the earliest phases of brain growth. By bringing together genetic data, stem cell modeling, and detailed developmental timelines, scientists are beginning to fill in some of those blanks. The wide range of diseases examined, from learning disabilities to Alzheimer’s, suggests that many conditions once seen as separate may share common early patterns. With more research, it may become possible to group certain brain conditions not only by symptoms but by the timing and location of their earliest disruptions. That kind of shift could help both patients and doctors understand the path forward more clearly.
This type of research is still in the early stages, but its potential is large. It reflects a growing effort to move beyond treating symptoms and instead ask how these conditions begin. For many people and families living with brain-related disorders, finding those answers is more than a scientific goal—it offers hope.
Sources:
Uncovering origins of autism, depression, Parkinson’s in fetal brain
Early developmental origins of cortical disorders modeled in human neural stem cells
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