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The association between brain volume and intelligence is of genetic origin

Nature Neuroscience volume 5, pages 83–84 (2002)Cite this article

To the editor

The recent study by Thompson and colleagues1 reported high heritability of gray-matter volume in several cortical regions using voxel-based MRI techniques. Gray matter substantially correlated with general intelligence, or 'g'. These findings prompt three major questions: (i) is the high heritability specific to gray-matter volume, (ii) is the correlation with g specific to gray-matter volume and (iii) is the correlation between gray-matter volume and g of genetic or environmental origin?

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 1, Amsterdam, 1081, BT, The Netherlands

    Daniëlle Posthuma, Eco J. C. De Geus & Dorret I. Boomsma

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584, CX, The Netherlands

    Wim F. C. Baaré, Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol & René S. Kahn

Authors
  1. Daniëlle Posthuma
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  2. Eco J. C. De Geus
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  3. Wim F. C. Baaré
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  4. Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol
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  5. René S. Kahn
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  6. Dorret I. Boomsma
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Posthuma, D., De Geus, E., Baaré, W. et al. The association between brain volume and intelligence is of genetic origin. Nat Neurosci 5, 83–84 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0202-83

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