TY - JOUR
T1 - Large and fast human pyramidal neurons associate with intelligence
AU - Goriounova, Natalia A.
AU - Heyer, Djai B.
AU - Wilbers, René
AU - Verhoog, Matthijs B.
AU - Giugliano, Michele
AU - Verbist, Christophe
AU - Obermayer, Joshua
AU - Kerkhofs, Amber
AU - Smeding, Harriët
AU - Verberne, Maaike
AU - Idema, Sander
AU - Baayen, Johannes C.
AU - Pieneman, Anton W.
AU - de Kock, Christiaan P.J.
AU - Klein, Martin
AU - Mansvelder, Huibert D.
PY - 2018/12/18
Y1 - 2018/12/18
N2 - It is generally assumed that human intelligence relies on efficient processing by neurons in our brain. Although grey matter thickness and activity of temporal and frontal cortical areas correlate with IQ scores, no direct evidence exists that links structural and physiological properties of neurons to human intelligence. Here, we find that high IQ scores and large temporal cortical thickness associate with larger, more complex dendrites of human pyramidal neurons. We show in silico that larger dendritic trees enable pyramidal neurons to track activity of synaptic inputs with higher temporal precision, due to fast action potential kinetics. Indeed, we find that human pyramidal neurons of individuals with higher IQ scores sustain fast action potential kinetics during repeated firing. These findings provide the first evidence that human intelligence is associated with neuronal complexity, action potential kinetics and efficient information transfer from inputs to output within cortical neurons.
AB - It is generally assumed that human intelligence relies on efficient processing by neurons in our brain. Although grey matter thickness and activity of temporal and frontal cortical areas correlate with IQ scores, no direct evidence exists that links structural and physiological properties of neurons to human intelligence. Here, we find that high IQ scores and large temporal cortical thickness associate with larger, more complex dendrites of human pyramidal neurons. We show in silico that larger dendritic trees enable pyramidal neurons to track activity of synaptic inputs with higher temporal precision, due to fast action potential kinetics. Indeed, we find that human pyramidal neurons of individuals with higher IQ scores sustain fast action potential kinetics during repeated firing. These findings provide the first evidence that human intelligence is associated with neuronal complexity, action potential kinetics and efficient information transfer from inputs to output within cortical neurons.
KW - Action potentials
KW - Dendrites
KW - Human cortex
KW - Human neurons
KW - Intelligence
KW - Pyramidal cells
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061046782&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85061046782&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.41714
DO - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.41714
M3 - Article
C2 - 30561325
SN - 2050-084X
VL - 7
SP - 1
EP - 21
JO - eLife
JF - eLife
M1 - e41714
ER -