Smart people have better connected brains

A new study shows in intelligent persons, certain brain regions are more strongly involved in the flow of information between brain regions, while other brain regions are less engaged.

Differences in cognitive abilities -- and the resulting differences for example in academic success and professional careers -- are attributed to a considerable degree to individual differences in intelligence. The study shows that these differences go hand in hand with differences in the patterns of integration among functional modules of the brain. Researchers try to investigate the neurobiological basis of human intelligence with fMRI brain scans.

The different topological embedding of anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex and junction area between temporal and parietal cortex into the brain network could make it easier for smarter persons to differentiate between important and irrelevant information -- which would be advantageous for many cognitive challenges.

The researchers take into account that the brain is functionally organized into modules. There are sub-networks of brain regions -- modules -- that are more strongly interconnected among themselves while they have weaker connections to brain regions from other modules. In our study, we examined whether the role of specific brain regions for communication within and among brain modules varies with individual differences in intelligence and how this relates to individual differences in intelligence.

The study shows that in more intelligent persons certain brain regions are clearly more strongly involved in the exchange of information between different sub-networks of the brain in order for important information to be communicated quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, the research team also identified brain regions that are more strongly 'de-coupled' from the rest of the network in more intelligent people. This may result in better protection against distracting and irrelevant inputs. "We assume that network properties we have found in more intelligent persons help us to focus mentally and to ignore or suppress irrelevant, potentially distracting inputs," says Basten. The causes of these associations remain an open question at present. "It is possible that due to their biological predispositions, some individuals develop brain networks that favor intelligent behaviors or more challenging cognitive tasks. However, it is equally as likely that the frequent use of the brain for cognitively challenging tasks may positively influence the development of brain networks. Given what we currently know about intelligence, an interplay of both processes seems most likely."

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