Qiu Bowen, Qian Rui, Gu Baorong, Li Zichao, Chen Zhifan, Xu Xinyi, Gao Huaijin, Chen Yiwei, Zhao Ruoke, Chen Ruike, Zhang Yuqi, Zhang Lingxuan, Zhao Zhiyong, Li Mingyang, Wu Dan
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.
Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 17;15(1):246. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03467-4.
Fluid and crystallized intelligence are acknowledged as distinct facets of cognitive ability during brain development, but the specific neural substrates and molecular mechanisms underlying them remain unclear. This study used a sample comprising 7471 young adolescents (mean age 9.87 ± 0.62 years) from the ABCD cohort to elucidate the differential neural correlates of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Our findings indicated that micro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as water diffusivity were closely associated with fluid intelligence, whereas macro-level brain MRI phenotypes such as gray matter cortical thickness were indicative of crystallized intelligence. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying fluid and crystallized intelligence by correlating the characteristic MRI markers with spatial transcriptome profiles and PET imaging. Results showed that fluid intelligence had significant associations with serotonin and glutamate system, while crystallized intelligence was related to serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine system. Furthermore, we examined the impacts of lifestyle factors on these two forms of intelligence and how the molecular pathways mediated these impacts. Our investigation suggested that physical activities, screen use and sleep duration influenced fluid intelligence mainly through mGlu5 receptors and crystallized intelligence through 5HT1a and D2 receptors. In conclusion, these findings illustrated a distinct neural basis between fluid and crystallized intelligence from the perspectives of neuroimaging, neurotransmitters, and lifestyles in young adolescents.
流体智力和晶体智力被认为是大脑发育过程中认知能力的不同方面，但它们背后的具体神经基质和分子机制仍不清楚。本研究使用了来自ABCD队列的7471名青少年（平均年龄9.87±0.62岁）样本，以阐明流体智力和晶体智力的不同神经关联。我们的研究结果表明，微观层面的脑MRI表型，如水扩散率，与流体智力密切相关，而宏观层面的脑MRI表型，如灰质皮层厚度，则表明晶体智力。我们通过将特征性MRI标记与空间转录组图谱和PET成像相关联，进一步研究了流体智力和晶体智力背后的分子机制。结果表明，流体智力与血清素和谷氨酸系统有显著关联，而晶体智力与血清素、多巴胺和乙酰胆碱系统有关。此外，我们研究了生活方式因素对这两种智力形式的影响，以及分子途径如何介导这些影响。我们的调查表明，体育活动、屏幕使用和睡眠时间主要通过mGlu5受体影响流体智力，通过5HT1a和D2受体影响晶体智力。总之，这些发现从神经影像学、神经递质和生活方式的角度阐明了青少年流体智力和晶体智力之间不同的神经基础。
