Genetic effect on lifetime IQ revealed

Updated on: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The genetic effect on lifetime IQ has been revealed by scientists who claim that genes account for a quarter of changes in intelligence over people's lives.
 
Though it is yet to identify exactly which genes are involved in IQ, an international team, led by the University of Queensland, says that the largest influence on changes in intelligence is environmental.
 
The scientists have based their findings on an analysis of 2,000 people who had intelligence tests in 1932 or 1947.
 
"Identifying genetic influences on intelligence could help us to understand the relationship between knowledge and problem solving and an inpidual's outcomes in life, and especially to understand why some people age better than others in terms of intelligence.
 
"We excluded people with dementia. This research was only possible because of remarkable detective work by Professor Ian Deary and his team at University of Edinburgh, and Professor Whalley and his team at University of Aberdeen," Prof Peter Visscher at Queensland University, who led the team, said.
 
In a number of studies since early 2000, the Edinburgh and Aberdeen researchers have shown that, when people took intelligence tests as children and then again in old age, they tended to keep about the same relative score.
 
In June 1932 and June 1947 intelligence tests were carried out on almost all children born in Scotland in 1921 and 1936, respectively. Ian Deary successfully tracked down 2000 of these people who, then aged from 65 to 79, agreed to be re-tested and to give samples for DNA analysis.
 
The scientists then examined more than half a million genetic markers to work out how genetically similar the inpiduals were, even though they were not related.
 
"Until now, we have not had an estimate of how much genetic differences affect how intelligence changes across a lifetime. The results partly explain why some people's brains age better than others," said Prof Deary.
 
Added Prof Visscher in a varsity release: "The results also strongly suggest how important the environment is helping us to stay sharp as we age. Neither the specific genetic nor environmental factors were identified in this research. Our results provide the warrant for others to search for those.
 
"Ultimately, understanding the influence of genetics in a healthy brain will help us understand and combat the changes caused by diseases like dementia."

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