Brain research: the mystery of the intelligence was revealed

For the intelligence of the responsible genes have been identified

“Nothing in the world is distributed so just like the mind. Because everyone is convinced that he had enough of it,“ said the French philosopher, mathematician and natural scientist René Descartes. From a genetic point of view, the distribution seems to be not quite so. A recent study shows that the brain performance of people is genetically determined. The researchers study a group of genes were identified, which governs the cognitive skills.

By influencing the genes of a super-Intelli Ghent man? The basis for this is an Austrian research team from the Innsbruck Medical University managed to do recently. The researchers found out why some people are more intelligent than others. The reason lies in the genes. For the first time, genes have been identified that are important for the human intelligence is responsible. The results of the research were recently published in the prestigious scientific journal “Plos genetics”.

There is no single intelligence Gene

“We know that there is a so-called Intelligenzgen, but that many genes make small contributions,” reports the Director of the Joint facility for neurosciences, Georg Dechant, in a press release announcing the study results. This research made a major contribution to the basic understanding of the intelligence, the genetic basis of previously little was known.

A group of proteins regulates the brain power

As the study shows, regulates a group of proteins in the cell nucleus, the cognitive skills. A key role to play in all of this is a Protein called SATB2. This Protein binding to the DNA, and determine the unfolding. This also explains why people with a Mutation in this Gene mental impairments and learning disabilities. “With modern biochemical methods, we can now determine a group of proteins that work together with SATB2 in neurons of the cerebrum,” adds study author Galina Apostolova.

A new Generation of Hyper-Intelligent now?

In the research, the study team clearly stated that certain variants of the genes identified are linked with Differences in human intelligence. This basic research helped to understand the higher brain functions better. An overly-intelligent Design-man, but is not expected in the near future, because given the current state of science, these genes are only partially influenced. “Because so many genes are involved, it is impossible to manipulate intelligence on the molecular level,” emphasizes Georg Dechant.

New treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders

“Our findings are important for the development of new therapies for psychiatric and neurological diseases,” says Dechant. In such diseases there is often an impairment in cognitive performance. The results of the study are thus, in particular, for the area of the so-called molecular psychiatry are of importance. (vb)