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What contributes to individual differences in brain structure?

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posted on 2023-06-08, 17:36 authored by Jenny Gu, Ryota Kanai
Individual differences in adult human brain structure have been found to reveal a great deal of information about variability in behaviors, cognitive abilities and mental and physical health. Driven by such evidence, what contributes to individual variation in brain structure has gained accelerated attention as a research question. Findings thus far appear to support the notion that an individual’s brain architecture is determined largely by genetic and environmental influences. This review aims to evaluate the empirical literature on whether and how genes and the environment contribute to individual differences in brain structure. It first considers how genetic and environmental effects may separately contribute to brain morphology, by examining evidence from twin, genome-wide association, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Next, evidence for the influence of the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, characterized as gene-environment interactions and correlations, is reviewed. In evaluating the extant literature, this review will conclude that both genetic and environmental factors play critical roles in contributing to individual variability in brain structure.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

ISSN

1662-5161

Publisher

Frontiers

Issue

262

Volume

8

Page range

1-6

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-06-11

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2014-06-11

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2014-06-11

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