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Shared genetic aetiology between cognitive performance and brain activations in language and math tasks
Yann Le Guen1, Marie Amalric2, Philippe Pinel2
1Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. yann.leguen@cea.fr.
Scientific Reports
|December 6, 2018
Summary
Genetics influences cognitive performance and brain activity. Researchers found shared genetic links between brain regions involved in language and math tasks and cognitive abilities like fluid intelligence and working memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Genetics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Cognitive performance demonstrates high heritability, yet common genetic influences on cognitive ability and task-related brain activation remain poorly understood.
- The Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset, with its extensive pedigree, provides a valuable resource for investigating shared genetic etiology in cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify brain regions where genetic factors explain inter-individual variance in functional MRI (fMRI) activation during cognitive tasks.
- To explore the shared genetic underpinnings between neural activation patterns and behavioral measures of cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the HCP dataset including language and mathematics fMRI tasks.
- Applied HCP multimodal parcellation to identify genetically influenced brain areas.
- Conducted bivariate genetic analyses correlating neural activation with behavioral scores (task accuracy, fluid intelligence, working memory, language performance).
Main Results:
- Identified specific brain areas within the language network (superior temporal sulcus) and math processing network (angular gyrus) showing significant genetic influence.
- Found significant genetic correlations between these brain activations and key cognitive performance indicators.
Conclusions:
- A shared genetic etiology influences both brain activation during cognitive tasks and cognitive abilities.
- These findings highlight specific brain regions where genetic factors shaping human cognition are expressed.
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