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Is There a Correlation Between the Number of Brain Cells and IQ?
Nicharatch Songthawornpong1, Thomas W Teasdale2, Mikkel V Olesen1
1Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|September 17, 2020
Summary
Intelligence quotient (IQ) does not correlate with neuron or glial cell numbers in the human neocortex. Brain cell counts and other brain structure measures showed no significant link to premorbid intelligence in men.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Anatomy
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The relationship between brain structure and intelligence is a long-standing question in neuroscience.
- Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding correlations between brain size, cell number, and cognitive abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between neuron and glial cell numbers in the human neocortex and premorbid intelligence quotient (IQ).
- To explore the relationship between other brain parameters (brain weight, glial cell types, gray/white matter volumes, ventricle size) and IQ.
Main Methods:
- Stereological analysis of postmortem human brain tissue from 50 male individuals.
- Correlation analysis between cell counts, brain measurements, and premorbid IQ data.
Main Results:
- No significant correlation was found between neuron number in the neocortex and IQ.
- IQ showed only a weak correlation with brain weight.
- Numbers of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, gray/white matter volumes, and ventricle size did not significantly correlate with IQ.
Conclusions:
- Neuron and glial cell numbers in the human neocortex are not deterministic factors for intelligence.
- Brain structure metrics examined in this study do not show a strong relationship with premorbid IQ in men.
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