Author:
Sandu Anca-Larisa,Waiter Gordon D.,Staff Roger T.,Nazlee Nafeesa,Habota Tina,McNeil Chris J.,Chapko Dorota,Williams Justin H.,Fall Caroline H. D.,Chandak Giriraj R.,Pene Shailesh,Krishna Murali,McIntosh Andrew M.,Whalley Heather C.,Kumaran Kalyanaraman,Krishnaveni Ghattu V.,Murray Alison D.
Abstract
AbstractChanges in brain morphology have been reported during development, ageing and in relation to different pathologies. Brain morphology described by the shape complexity of gyri and sulci can be captured and quantified using fractal dimension (FD). This measure of brain structural complexity, as well as brain volume, are associated with intelligence, but less is known about the sexual dimorphism of these relationships. In this paper, sex differences in the relationship between brain structural complexity and general intelligence (g) in two diverse geographic and cultural populations (UK and Indian) are investigated. 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and a battery of cognitive tests were acquired from participants belonging to three different cohorts: Mysore Parthenon Cohort (MPC); Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) and UK Biobank. We computed MRI derived structural brain complexity and g estimated from a battery of cognitive tests for each group. Brain complexity and volume were both positively corelated with intelligence, with the correlations being significant in women but not always in men. This relationship is seen across populations of differing ages and geographical locations and improves understanding of neurobiological sex-differences.
Funder
Roland Sutton Academic Trust
Wellcome Trust Strategic Award
DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Global Challenges Research Fund pump priming award from the Medical Research Council Grant
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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