Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.

The study of individual differences encompasses broad constructs including intelligence, creativity, and personality. However, substantially less research is devoted to the study of specific aptitudes in spite of their importance to educational, occupational, and avocational success. We sought to de...

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Main Authors: Rex E Jung, Sephira G Ryman, Andrei A Vakhtin, Jessica Carrasco, Chris Wertz, Ranee A Flores
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089425&type=printable
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author Rex E Jung
Sephira G Ryman
Andrei A Vakhtin
Jessica Carrasco
Chris Wertz
Ranee A Flores
author_facet Rex E Jung
Sephira G Ryman
Andrei A Vakhtin
Jessica Carrasco
Chris Wertz
Ranee A Flores
author_sort Rex E Jung
collection DOAJ
description The study of individual differences encompasses broad constructs including intelligence, creativity, and personality. However, substantially less research is devoted to the study of specific aptitudes in spite of their importance to educational, occupational, and avocational success. We sought to determine subcortical brain structural correlates of several broad aptitudes including Math, Vocabulary, Foresight, Paper Folding, and Inductive Reasoning in a large (N = 107), healthy, young (age range  = 16-29) cohort. Subcortical volumes were measured using an automated technique (FreeSurfer) across structures including bilateral caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and five equal regions of the corpus callosum. We found that performance on measures of each aptitude was predicted by different subcortical structures: Math--higher right nucleus accumbens volume; Vocabulary--higher left hippocampus volume; Paper Folding--higher right thalamus volume; Foresight--lower right thalamus and higher mid anterior corpus callosum volume; Inductive Reasoning--higher mid anterior corpus callosum volume. Our results support general findings, within the cognitive neurosciences, showing lateralization of structure-function relationships, as well as more specific relationships between individual structures (e.g., left hippocampus) and functions relevant to particular aptitudes (e.g., Vocabulary).
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spelling doaj-art-bad4c47fca0d42e48035bae6343043322025-08-20T02:15:28ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0192e8942510.1371/journal.pone.0089425Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.Rex E JungSephira G RymanAndrei A VakhtinJessica CarrascoChris WertzRanee A FloresThe study of individual differences encompasses broad constructs including intelligence, creativity, and personality. However, substantially less research is devoted to the study of specific aptitudes in spite of their importance to educational, occupational, and avocational success. We sought to determine subcortical brain structural correlates of several broad aptitudes including Math, Vocabulary, Foresight, Paper Folding, and Inductive Reasoning in a large (N = 107), healthy, young (age range  = 16-29) cohort. Subcortical volumes were measured using an automated technique (FreeSurfer) across structures including bilateral caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and five equal regions of the corpus callosum. We found that performance on measures of each aptitude was predicted by different subcortical structures: Math--higher right nucleus accumbens volume; Vocabulary--higher left hippocampus volume; Paper Folding--higher right thalamus volume; Foresight--lower right thalamus and higher mid anterior corpus callosum volume; Inductive Reasoning--higher mid anterior corpus callosum volume. Our results support general findings, within the cognitive neurosciences, showing lateralization of structure-function relationships, as well as more specific relationships between individual structures (e.g., left hippocampus) and functions relevant to particular aptitudes (e.g., Vocabulary).https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089425&type=printable
spellingShingle Rex E Jung
Sephira G Ryman
Andrei A Vakhtin
Jessica Carrasco
Chris Wertz
Ranee A Flores
Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
PLoS ONE
title Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
title_full Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
title_fullStr Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
title_full_unstemmed Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
title_short Subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude.
title_sort subcortical correlates of individual differences in aptitude
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089425&type=printable
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