AI Article Synopsis

  • Cortical characteristics like thickness, surface area, and volume change with age, cognitive function, and various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
  • A study of 22,824 individuals from multiple cohorts evaluated genetic factors influencing these brain measures, identifying 160 significant genetic associations linked to specific biological pathways.
  • Findings suggest a genetic connection between cortical traits and factors related to physical development, brain health, and mental illnesses, providing valuable insights for future research on brain changes with aging.

Article Abstract

Cortical thickness, surface area and volumes vary with age and cognitive function, and in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Here we report heritability, genetic correlations and genome-wide associations of these cortical measures across the whole cortex, and in 34 anatomically predefined regions. Our discovery sample comprises 22,824 individuals from 20 cohorts within the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium and the UK Biobank. We identify genetic heterogeneity between cortical measures and brain regions, and 160 genome-wide significant associations pointing to wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β and sonic hedgehog pathways. There is enrichment for genes involved in anthropometric traits, hindbrain development, vascular and neurodegenerative disease and psychiatric conditions. These data are a rich resource for studies of the biological mechanisms behind cortical development and aging.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7508833PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18367-yDOI Listing

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