Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cattell's Theory of Intelligence01:25

Cattell's Theory of Intelligence

7.4K
Raymond Cattell, along with John Horn, made significant contributions to our understanding of intelligence by distinguishing between two types: fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.
Fluid intelligence involves the capacity to solve new problems and adapt to unfamiliar situations. It's the type of intelligence individuals use when they encounter a novel problem or puzzle that requires innovative thinking. For instance, figuring out how to operate a new gadget relies heavily on...
7.4K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

261
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
261
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

497
Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
497
Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure01:18

Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure

4.8K
The neural regulation of blood pressure involves intricate interactions between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cardiovascular system, ensuring adequate perfusion of tissues. This regulation primarily occurs through baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes, involving both short-term and long-term mechanisms.
Baroreceptor Reflex
Baroreceptors, located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch, detect changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, these stretch-sensitive receptors...
4.8K
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

7.0K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
7.0K
Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation01:13

Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation

2.9K
The reticular formation is a complex network of gray and white matter located within the brainstem extending from the medulla to the midbrain.
Within the reticular formation, there are several distinct nuclei that can be classified into three broad categories. The Raphe nuclei are located along the midline of the brainstem. They are primarily known for their role in synthesizing and releasing serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, appetite, sleep, and circadian rhythms. The...
2.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Examining the association between vigilance and mind wandering.

Frontiers in cognition·2026
Same author

Catching the drift: EEG microstate dynamics resemble time-on-task changes in mind wandering and sustained attention.

Cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same author

Attention control ability is associated with frontoparietal control network interactions.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Beyond Working Memory Capacity: Attention Control as the Underlying Mechanism of Cognitive Abilities.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same author

Climate anxiety impairs sustained attention: objective evidence of a cognitive cost.

Frontiers in psychology·2025
Same author

Faster, smarter, and more attentive: The control of attention is about more than just conflict resolution.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2025
Same journal

The TaMYB55-TaSnRK1α1-TabZIP9 module confers heat stress tolerance in wheat.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Superstatistics approach to turbulent circulation fluctuations.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

A molecular timescale for evolution of cobamide biosynthesis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Pierre Chambon, a pioneer of molecular biology and gene regulation in eukaryotes.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Granulosa cell glycogen fuels the avascular corpus luteum.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Synthetic essentiality of TRAIL/TNFSF10 in VHL-deficient renal cell carcinoma.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain
07:44

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Published on: March 7, 2019

18.3K

Fluid intelligence and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system.

Jason S Tsukahara1, Randall W Engle2

  • 1School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 12, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system is key to intelligence. Executive attention, particularly disengagement, predicts baseline pupil size, linking cognitive control to fluid intelligence.

Keywords:
brain basis of intelligencecognitive abilityindividual differenceslocus coeruleuspupil size

More Related Videos

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
07:26

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation

Published on: November 26, 2019

8.3K
Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks
06:57

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Published on: August 9, 2016

11.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain
07:44

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Published on: March 7, 2019

18.3K
Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
07:26

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation

Published on: November 26, 2019

8.3K
Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks
06:57

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Published on: August 9, 2016

11.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Significant progress has been made in identifying genetic and brain differences related to intelligence.
  • Gaps remain in understanding how cognitive mechanisms of intelligence map onto brain functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue for the essential role of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system in the biological basis of intelligence.
  • To connect the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system with executive attention, working memory, and fluid intelligence.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing evidence on the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system's role in brain function.
  • Analysis of baseline pupil size as an indicator of locus coeruleus activity.
  • Latent variable approach to examine the relationship between executive attention and pupil size.

Main Results:

  • A common executive attention factor predicted baseline pupil size.
  • The disengagement function of executive attention, not maintenance, uniquely predicted baseline pupil size.
  • Findings suggest a link between attentional control and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system in fluid intelligence.

Conclusions:

  • The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system is crucial for understanding the biological basis of intelligence.
  • Attentional control mechanisms, specifically disengagement, are important for mapping cognitive processes of fluid intelligence onto the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the relationships between fluid intelligence, the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system, and brain networks.