Finally, genetic effects are not static but may change with age and modified by environment. However, most human studies were conducted cross-sectionally, and the few longitudinal studies across wider age ranges are limited by relatively small sample sizes. Overall, studies on age-related genetic influences on brain development are lacking and needed to improve our understanding of the developing brain. Knowledge derived from genetic influences on brain development and aging may lead to new strategies for more personalized therapeutic interventions, especially for the neuropsychiatric disorders that emerge at puberty and for many neurodegenerative disorders that occur with aging.
