TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlation among body height, intelligence, and brain gray matter volume in healthy children
AU - Taki, Yasuyuki
AU - Hashizume, Hiroshi
AU - Sassa, Yuko
AU - Takeuchi, Hikaru
AU - Asano, Michiko
AU - Asano, Kohei
AU - Kotozaki, Yuka
AU - Nouchi, Rui
AU - Wu, Kai
AU - Fukuda, Hiroshi
AU - Kawashima, Ryuta
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 's Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B).
PY - 2012/1/16
Y1 - 2012/1/16
N2 - A significant positive correlation between height and intelligence has been demonstrated in children. Additionally, intelligence has been associated with the volume of gray matter in the brains of children. Based on these correlations, we analyzed the correlation among height, full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) and gray matter volume applying voxel-based morphometry using data from the brain magnetic resonance images of 160 healthy children aged 5-18. years of age. As a result, body height was significantly positively correlated with brain gray matter volume. Additionally, the regional gray matter volume of several regions such as the bilateral prefrontal cortices, temporoparietal region, and cerebellum was significantly positively correlated with body height and that the gray matter volume of several of these regions was also significantly positively correlated with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) scores after adjusting for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Our results demonstrate that gray and white matter volume may mediate the correlation between body height and intelligence in healthy children. Additionally, the correlations among gray and white matter volume, height, and intelligence may be at least partially explained by the effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormones. Given the importance of the effect of environmental factors, especially nutrition, on height, IQ, and gray matter volume, the present results stress the importance of nutrition during childhood for the healthy maturation of body and brain.
AB - A significant positive correlation between height and intelligence has been demonstrated in children. Additionally, intelligence has been associated with the volume of gray matter in the brains of children. Based on these correlations, we analyzed the correlation among height, full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) and gray matter volume applying voxel-based morphometry using data from the brain magnetic resonance images of 160 healthy children aged 5-18. years of age. As a result, body height was significantly positively correlated with brain gray matter volume. Additionally, the regional gray matter volume of several regions such as the bilateral prefrontal cortices, temporoparietal region, and cerebellum was significantly positively correlated with body height and that the gray matter volume of several of these regions was also significantly positively correlated with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) scores after adjusting for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Our results demonstrate that gray and white matter volume may mediate the correlation between body height and intelligence in healthy children. Additionally, the correlations among gray and white matter volume, height, and intelligence may be at least partially explained by the effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormones. Given the importance of the effect of environmental factors, especially nutrition, on height, IQ, and gray matter volume, the present results stress the importance of nutrition during childhood for the healthy maturation of body and brain.
KW - Body height
KW - Children
KW - Gray matter
KW - Intelligence quotient
KW - Voxel-based morphometry
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U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.08.092
DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.08.092
M3 - Article
C2 - 21930215
AN - SCOPUS:83055194389
SN - 1053-8119
VL - 59
SP - 1023
EP - 1027
JO - NeuroImage
JF - NeuroImage
IS - 2
ER -