How genes, brain characteristics and intelligence are connected

Genes influence different structures and the function of the brain. These in turn explain differences in behaviour. Analysing all three aspects at once is a challenge - and has been achieved for the first time. Intelligence is partly heritable. There are studies that show that certain genetic variations are linked to better performance in intelligence tests. Other studies show that a variety of brain characteristics, such as network efficiency, are related to intelligence. Researchers from the Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Luxembourg now analysed simultaneously gene analyses, magnetic resonance imaging and intelligence tests to demonstrate which brain characteristics form the link between genes and behaviour.