Association between telomere length and neuropsychological function at 4-5 years in children from the INMA project: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Shortened telomere length (TL) has been associated with lower cognitive performance, diferent neurological diseases in adults, and certain neurodevelopmental disorders in children. However, the evidence about the association between TL and neuropsychological developmental outcomes in children from the general population is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between TL and europsychological function in children 4–5 years of age. We included 686 children from the INMA Project, a population-based birth cohort in Spain. Leucocyte TL was determined by quantitative PCR method, and neuropsychological outcomes were measured using the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MCSA). Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate associations adjusted for potential confounding variables. Main fndings showed that a longer TL was associated with a higher mean working memory score (β=4.55; 95% CI=0.39, 8.71). In addition, longer TL was associated with a higher mean global quantitative score (β=3.85; 95% CI=−0.19, 7.89), although the association was marginally signifcant. To our knowledge, this is the frst study that shows a positive association between TL and better neuropsychological outcomes in children. Although further research is required to confrm these results, this study supports the hypothesis that TL is essential in protecting and maintaining a child’s health, including cognitive functions such as working memory