Genetic Contributions to Human Brain Morphology and Intelligence

Pol, Hilleke E. Hulshoff; Schnack, Hugo G.; Posthuma, Daniëlle; Mandl, René C.W.; Baaré, William F.C.; Oel, Clarine van; Haren, Neeltje E. van; Collins, D. Louis; Evans, Alan C.; Amunts, Katrin; Bürgel, Uli; Zilles, Karl; Geus, Eco J. C. de; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Kahn, René S.

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1312-06.2006

Cited by 258 publications

(243 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Specifically, small heritability values (<40%) were found for the right hippocampus and thalamus, and left amygdala, hippocampus, and caudate, but moderate values (40-60%) were found for the right amygdala and left thalamus. Our estimates for heritability were lower than those previously reported for the amygdala (e.g., 55-71% for right amygdala in Hulshoff et al, 2006;Kremen et al, 2010;and Wright et al, 2002, vs. 48% reported here) and for the hippocampus (e.g., 64-71% for right hippocampus in Kremen et al, 2010, andWright et al, 2002, vs. 34% reported here), but higher for others such as the thalamus (e.g., 0% in Wright et al, 2002 vs. 58% for left thalamus reported here).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

The TWIN-E Project in Emotional Wellbeing: Study Protocol and Preliminary Heritability Results Across Four MRI and DTI Measures

et al. 2012

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Despite the significant advancements being made in the neurogenetics for mental health, the identification and validation of potential endophenotype markers of risk and resilience remain to be confirmed. The TWIN-E study (The Twin study in Wellbeing using Integrative Neuroscience of Emotion) aims to validate endophenotype markers of mental health across cognitive, brain, and autonomic measures by testing the heritability, clinical plausibility, and reliability of each of these measures in a large adult twin cohort. The specific gene and environmental mechanisms that moderate prospective links between endophenotypephenotype markers and the final outcome of wellbeing will also be identified. TWIN-E is a national prospective study with three phases: I) baseline testing on a battery of online questionnaires and cognitive tasks, and EEG, MRI, and autonomic testing; II) 12-month follow-up testing on the online assessments; and III) randomized controlled trial of brain training. Minimum target numbers include 1,500 male/female twins (18-65 years) for the online assessments (Phase I and II), 300 twins for the EEG testing component, and 244 twins for the MRI testing component. For Phase III, each twin out of the pair will be randomized to either the treatment or waitlist control group to test the effects of brain training on mental health over a 30-day period, and to confirm the gene-environment and endophenotype contributions to treatment response. Preliminary heritability results are provided for the first 50% of the MRI subgroup (n = 142) for the grey matter volume, thickness, and surface area measures, and white matter diffuse tensor imaging fractional anisotropy.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

The TWIN-E Project in Emotional Wellbeing: Study Protocol and Preliminary Heritability Results Across Four MRI and DTI Measures

et al. 2012

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“…This association is mediated by genes shared between structural brain measures and full scale IQ in adulthood (Hulshoff Pol et al, 2006;Posthuma et al, 2002). In our pediatric twin cohort we demonstrated that this genetic association between brain structure and IQ is already present at a young age.…”

Section: Brain Structure and Cognitionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Brain SCALE: Brain Structure and Cognition: an Adolescent Longitudinal Twin Study into the Genetic Etiology of Individual Differences

et al. 2012

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From childhood into adolescence, the child's brain undergoes considerable changes in both structure and function. Twin studies are of great value to explore to what extent genetic and environmental factors explain individual differences in brain development and cognition. In The Netherlands, we initiated a longitudinal study in which twins, their siblings and their parents are assessed at three year intervals. The participants were recruited from The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) and at baseline consisted of 112 families, with 9-year-old twins and an older sibling. Three years later, 89 families returned for follow-up assessment. Data collection included psychometric IQ tests, a comprehensive neuropsychological testing protocol, and parental and self-ratings of behavioral and emotional problems. Physical maturation was measured through assessment of Tanner stages. Hormonal levels (cortisol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, and estrogens) were assessed in urine and saliva. Brain scans were acquired using 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which provided volumetric measures and measures of cortical thickness. Buccal swabs were collected for DNA isolation for future candidate gene and genomewide analysis studies. This article gives an overview of the study and the main findings. Participants will return for a third assessment when the twins are around 16 years old. Longitudinal twin-sibling studies that map brain development and cognitive function at well-defined ages aid in the understanding of genetic influences on normative brain development.

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“…A study involving 54 monozygotic (MZ) and 58 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 34 of their siblings, estimated heritabilities for focal GM and WM areas of the brain using a VBM approach (Hulshoff Pol et al, 2006). Hemispheric differences in proportional genetic contributions were found for High bilateral genetic correlations between structural homologues were found, suggesting that inter-hemispheric covariance is largely genetically mediated.…”

Section: Genetics and Twin Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cerebral Asymmetry: A Quantitative, Multifactorial, and Plastic Brain Phenotype

Rentería

2012

Twin Res Hum Genet

108

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The longitudinal fissure separates the human brain into two hemispheres that remain connected through the corpus callosum. The left and the right halves of the brain resemble each other, and almost every structure present in one side has an equivalent structure in the other. Despite this exceptional correspondence, the two hemispheres also display important anatomical differences and there is marked lateralization of certain cognitive and motor functions such as language and handedness. However, the mechanisms that underlie the establishment of these hemispheric specializations, as well as their physiological and behavioral implications, remain largely unknown. Thanks to recent advances in neuroimaging, a series of studies documenting variation in symmetry and asymmetry as a function of age, gender, brain region, and pathological state, have been published in the past decade. Here, we review evidence of normal and atypical cerebral asymmetry, and the factors that influence it at the macrostructural level. Given the prominent role that cerebral asymmetry plays in the organization of the brain, and its possible implication in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, further research in this area is anticipated.

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Genetic Contributions to Human Brain Morphology and Intelligence

Cited by 258 publications

References 46 publications

The TWIN-E Project in Emotional Wellbeing: Study Protocol and Preliminary Heritability Results Across Four MRI and DTI Measures

The TWIN-E Project in Emotional Wellbeing: Study Protocol and Preliminary Heritability Results Across Four MRI and DTI Measures

Brain SCALE: Brain Structure and Cognition: an Adolescent Longitudinal Twin Study into the Genetic Etiology of Individual Differences

Cerebral Asymmetry: A Quantitative, Multifactorial, and Plastic Brain Phenotype

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