Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents
Abstract Fluid and crystallized intelligence are acknowledged as distinct facets of cognitive ability during brain development, but the specific neural substrates and molecular mechanisms underlying them remain unclear. This study used a sample comprising 7471 young adolescents (mean age 9.87 ± 0.62...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Publishing Group
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Translational Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03467-4 |
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| _version_ | 1849761160292728832 |
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| author | Bowen Qiu Rui Qian Baorong Gu Zichao Li Zhifan Chen Xinyi Xu Huaijin Gao Yiwei Chen Ruoke Zhao Ruike Chen Yuqi Zhang Lingxuan Zhang Zhiyong Zhao Mingyang Li Dan Wu |
| author_facet | Bowen Qiu Rui Qian Baorong Gu Zichao Li Zhifan Chen Xinyi Xu Huaijin Gao Yiwei Chen Ruoke Zhao Ruike Chen Yuqi Zhang Lingxuan Zhang Zhiyong Zhao Mingyang Li Dan Wu |
| author_sort | Bowen Qiu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fluid and crystallized intelligence are acknowledged as distinct facets of cognitive ability during brain development, but the specific neural substrates and molecular mechanisms underlying them remain unclear. This study used a sample comprising 7471 young adolescents (mean age 9.87 ± 0.62 years) from the ABCD cohort to elucidate the differential neural correlates of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Our findings indicated that micro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as water diffusivity were closely associated with fluid intelligence, whereas macro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as gray matter cortical thickness were indicative of crystallized intelligence. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying fluid and crystallized intelligence by correlating the characteristic MRI markers with spatial transcriptome profiles and PET imaging. Results showed that fluid intelligence had significant associations with serotonin and glutamate system, while crystallized intelligence was related to serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine system. Furthermore, we examined the impacts of lifestyle factors on these two forms of intelligence and how the molecular pathways mediated these impacts. Our investigation suggested that physical activities, screen use and sleep duration influenced fluid intelligence mainly through mGlu5 receptors and crystallized intelligence through 5HT1a and D2 receptors. In conclusion, these findings illustrated a distinct neural basis between fluid and crystallized intelligence from the perspectives of neuroimaging, neurotransmitters, and lifestyles in young adolescents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-137e306b96284967936c20d0d6712e49 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2158-3188 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Translational Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-137e306b96284967936c20d0d6712e492025-08-20T03:06:06ZengNature Publishing GroupTranslational Psychiatry2158-31882025-07-0115111210.1038/s41398-025-03467-4Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescentsBowen Qiu0Rui Qian1Baorong Gu2Zichao Li3Zhifan Chen4Xinyi Xu5Huaijin Gao6Yiwei Chen7Ruoke Zhao8Ruike Chen9Yuqi Zhang10Lingxuan Zhang11Zhiyong Zhao12Mingyang Li13Dan Wu14Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang UniversityAbstract Fluid and crystallized intelligence are acknowledged as distinct facets of cognitive ability during brain development, but the specific neural substrates and molecular mechanisms underlying them remain unclear. This study used a sample comprising 7471 young adolescents (mean age 9.87 ± 0.62 years) from the ABCD cohort to elucidate the differential neural correlates of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Our findings indicated that micro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as water diffusivity were closely associated with fluid intelligence, whereas macro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as gray matter cortical thickness were indicative of crystallized intelligence. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying fluid and crystallized intelligence by correlating the characteristic MRI markers with spatial transcriptome profiles and PET imaging. Results showed that fluid intelligence had significant associations with serotonin and glutamate system, while crystallized intelligence was related to serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine system. Furthermore, we examined the impacts of lifestyle factors on these two forms of intelligence and how the molecular pathways mediated these impacts. Our investigation suggested that physical activities, screen use and sleep duration influenced fluid intelligence mainly through mGlu5 receptors and crystallized intelligence through 5HT1a and D2 receptors. In conclusion, these findings illustrated a distinct neural basis between fluid and crystallized intelligence from the perspectives of neuroimaging, neurotransmitters, and lifestyles in young adolescents.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03467-4 |
| spellingShingle | Bowen Qiu Rui Qian Baorong Gu Zichao Li Zhifan Chen Xinyi Xu Huaijin Gao Yiwei Chen Ruoke Zhao Ruike Chen Yuqi Zhang Lingxuan Zhang Zhiyong Zhao Mingyang Li Dan Wu Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents Translational Psychiatry |
| title | Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| title_full | Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| title_short | Neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| title_sort | neural correlates differ between crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03467-4 |
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