Genetic effects on the cerebellar role in working memory: same brain, different genes?

ABSTRACT: Over the past several years, evidence has accumulated showing that the cerebellum plays a significant role in cognitive function. Here we show, in a large genetically informative twin sample (n=430; aged 16-30years), that the cerebellum is strongly, and reliably (n=30 rescans), activated during an n-back working memory task, particularly lobules I-IV, VIIa Crus I and II, IX and the vermis. Monozygotic twin correlations for cerebellar activation were generally much larger than dizygotic twin correlations, consistent with genetic influences. Structural equation models showed that up to 65% of the variance in cerebellar activation during working memory is genetic (averaging 34% across significant voxels), most prominently in the lobules VI, and VIIa Crus I, with the remaining variance explain

SUBMITTER: Blokland GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3925745 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature