Cerebral Cortical Structural Variation and General Cognitive Ability: Evidence From Mendelian Randomization

Abstract

Understanding the cortical architecture underlying individual differences in general cognitive ability (GCA) remains a central question in cognitive neuroscience. Prior work has established associations between global brain size and GCA, yet the regional effects and directionality of these relationships remain debated. Using a genetically informed cortical parcellation in 11,289 UK Biobank participants, we examined associations between cortical surface area (SA), cortical thickness (CT), and GCA measured via verbal–numerical reasoning. Total SA showed a robust positive association with GCA. At the regional level, dorsolateral prefrontal and superior temporal SA exhibited the strongest positive associations, which persisted after adjustment for global SA. In contrast, CT showed comparatively modest associations. Using Mendelian randomization (MR) with genome‐wide significant genetic instruments, we observed evidence consistent with a bidirectional relationship between total SA and GCA. At the regional level, dorsolateral prefrontal and temporal SA demonstrated evidence of MR‐inferred directional effects on GCA, while GCA showed evidence of MR‐inferred directional effects on total SA and perisylvian thickness. These findings support a polyregional SA architecture underlying GCA, with prominent contributions from prefrontal and temporal association cortices. Our results refine global brain–GCA models and highlight the value of genetically informed parcellation for identifying regional cortical contributions.