When it rains--it pours. Second posting today of research study reinforcing the importance of the P-FIT neuro-model of intelligence.
In a prior Interactive Metronome-Home blog post I provide an overview description of the P-FIT model.
Multivariate Associations of Fluid Intelligence and NAA
- Aki Nikolaidis1,2,
- Pauline L. Baniqued1,3,4,
- Michael B. Kranz1,3,
- Claire J. Scavuzzo2,5,
- Aron K. Barbey1,
- Arthur F. Kramer1,2,3 and
- Ryan J. Larsen1
+ Author Affiliations
- Address correspondence to Aki Nikolaidis. Email: g.aki.nikolaidis@gmail.com
Abstract
Understanding the neural and metabolic
correlates of fluid intelligence not only aids scientists in
characterizing cognitive
processes involved in intelligence, but it also
offers insight into intervention methods to improve fluid intelligence.
Here
we use magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
(MRSI) to measure N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), a biochemical
marker of neural energy production and efficiency. We use principal
components analysis
(PCA) to examine how the distribution of NAA in the
frontal and parietal lobes relates to fluid intelligence. We find that
a left lateralized frontal-parietal component
predicts fluid intelligence, and it does so independently of brain size,
another
significant predictor of fluid intelligence. These
results suggest that the left motor regions play a key role in the
visualization
and planning necessary for spatial cognition and
reasoning, and we discuss these findings in the context of the
Parieto-Frontal
Integration Theory of intelligence.
