biostudies-literatureGrasby KLScience and Technology Commission of Shanghai MunicipalityNCATS NIH HHSNICHD NIH HHSNIBIB NIH HHSNIA NIH HHSHoward Hughes Medical InstituteNHLBI NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthNational Institute on AgingCanadian Institutes of Health ResearchNSW HealthDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftEuropean Research CouncilEuropean Commission Directorate-General for Research and InnovationMinistry of Education of the People's Republic of ChinaDutch Research Council (NWO)NIH Clinical CenterMRF_NINDS NIH HHSBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilNIH HHSTond Mohn StiftelseNCRR NIH HHSNIDA NIH HHSU.S. National Library of MedicineNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaZonMwKG Jebsen FoundationCSRD VAMedical Research FoundationSwiss National Science FoundationFAPESP - São Paulo Research Foundation - BrazilSouth-Eastern Norway Regional Health AuthorityNIDDK NIH HHSMedical Research CouncilThe Research Council of NorwayNHGRI NIH HHSNational Health and Medical Research CouncilNational Institute of Mental HealthNLM NIH HHSWellcome TrustNIGMS NIH HHSeaay6690https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7295264biostudies-literatureUnknown367(6484)The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progeniScience (New York, N.Y.)The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex.PMC7295264R01 MH117601APP1103623UKDRI-4002RC2 MH089951047.017.043024.001.003R01 AG016495R01 MH094524R01LM012535HHSN268201100009IHHSN268201100009CMR/N000390/1R01 HD050735MC_PC_15018R01 MH058799UL1 TR000124APP1095127MR/K026992/1R01 MH078143N01 HC055222K24 MH094614R03AG0549365T32MH0735261067137P30 DK063491M01 RR001066U01 HL0802951051672R01 AG059874U24 AG021886U01 MH108148R01 AG033040MR/L010305/11105825T32AG058507R01 HL087652P41 EB015922R01 AG022381R01 AG054076602805R01MH084898-01A1APP1158127R01 NS017950R01 AG019771R01 AG049607MRF-058-0009-RG-DESR-C0759R01 HL103612R01 DA025109R01 HL087641R01 MH083824R01 MH07811191630314R37 DA018673RC2 MH089995G1001401UL1 TR00188116JC14204022013/07559-3K08 AG047903Career grant to SLHHHSN268201100005CR56 AG058854MR/N027558/1HHSN268201100005IHHSN268201100005GR01 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SfalseThe genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex.The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progeni2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Mar2026-04-29T06:26:28.227Z2026-04-07T14:58:23.983ZS-EPMC72952643219329610.1126/science.aay6690