An Association Between Childhood IQ and Cortical Thickness in Elders

How is childhood IQ related to cortical thickness in old age? To examine this question, investigators used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study, which administered the same IQ test (Moray House Test) to participants at ages 11 and 70. At age 73, participants completed a memory task and underwent magnetic resonance imaging, used to assess cortical thickness.

Of the 1091 eligible individuals, 588 (54%) completed the protocol. Higher childhood IQ was significantly associated with greater cortical thickness. In contrast, when childhood IQ was controlled for, cortical measurements were not associated with adult IQ, with a similar lack of association with memory function at age 73.