Is bigger always better? The importance of cortical configuration with respect to cognitive ability

Eero Vuoksimaa; Matthew S Panizzon; Chi-Hua Chen; Mark Fiecas; Lisa T Eyler; Christine Fennema-Notestine; Donald J Hagler Jr; Carol E Franz; Amy J Jak; Michael J Lyons; Michael C Neale; Daniel A Rinker; Wesley K Thompson; Ming T Tsuang; Anders M Dale; William S Kremen

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.049

Is bigger always better? The importance of cortical configuration with respect to cognitive ability

Neuroimage. 2016 Apr 1:129:356-366. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.049. Epub 2016 Jan 29.

Authors

Eero Vuoksimaa¹, Matthew S Panizzon², Chi-Hua Chen³, Mark Fiecas², Lisa T Eyler⁴, Christine Fennema-Notestine⁵, Donald J Hagler Jr⁶, Carol E Franz², Amy J Jak⁷, Michael J Lyons⁸, Michael C Neale⁹, Daniel A Rinker¹⁰, Wesley K Thompson¹¹, Ming T Tsuang², Anders M Dale¹², William S Kremen¹³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Public Health, and Institute for Molecular Medicine (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁴ Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁶ Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
⁹ Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23220, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Imaging Genetics Center, Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
¹² Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
¹³ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

General cognitive ability (GCA) has substantial explanatory power for behavioral and health outcomes, but its cortical substrate is still not fully established. GCA is highly polygenic and research to date strongly suggests that its cortical substrate is highly polyregional. We show in map-based and region-of-interest-based analyses of adult twins that a complex cortical configuration underlies GCA. Having relatively greater surface area in evolutionary and developmentally high-expanded prefrontal, lateral temporal, and inferior parietal regions is positively correlated with GCA, whereas relatively greater surface area in low-expanded occipital, medial temporal, and motor cortices is negatively correlated with GCA. Essentially the opposite pattern holds for relative cortical thickness. The phenotypic positive-to-negative gradients in our cortical-GCA association maps were largely driven by a similar pattern of genetic associations. The patterns are consistent with regional cortical stretching whereby relatively greater surface area is related to relatively thinner cortex in high-expanded regions. Thus, the typical "bigger is better" view does not adequately capture cortical-GCA associations. Rather, cognitive ability is influenced by complex configurations of cortical development patterns that are strongly influenced by genetic factors. Optimal cognitive ability appears to be driven both by the absolute size and the polyregional configuration of the entire cortex rather than by small, circumscribed regions.

Keywords: Cortical surface area; Cortical thickness; General cognitive ability; Neurodevelopment; Twin research.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Twin Study

MeSH terms

Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex / anatomy & histology*
Cognition / physiology*
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Intelligence / genetics*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Twins

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding