Interconnections within the brain defines your smartness

Have you ever wondered why some people are more smarter than the others? Your intelligence depends on how well the interconnected networks of your brain function.

The difference in the intelligence of individuals go hand in hand with differences in the patterns of integration among functional modules of the brain, says a new finding.

The brain is functionally organised into modules or multiple networks that are more strongly interconnected among themselves, while having weaker connections with other modules at the same time.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, noted that in some people, the prefrontal cortex region - located in the front part of the brain and responsible for cognitive qualities like thinking skills, analytical processing and decision making - is more evolved and works more efficiently than the rest of the brain.

"The different topological embedding of these regions into the brain network could make it easier for smarter persons to differentiate between important and irrelevant information - which would be advantageous for many cognitive challenges," said Ulrike Basten, Professor at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.

The researchers studied the MRI brain scans of over 300 persons and found that in more intelligent persons certain brain regions are more strongly involved in the exchange of information between different sub-networks of the brain, in order to communicate the important information quickly and efficiently.

"It is possible that due to their biological predispositions, some individuals develop brain networks that favour intelligent behaviours or more challenging cognitive tasks.

"However, it is equally as likely that the frequent use of the brain for cognitively challenging tasks may positively influence the development of brain networks," the researchers said.

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