Kein Folientitel

1
Spezielle Themen der Biologischen Psychologie
Vorlesungsunterlagen, SS 2009 Univ. Prof. Dr.
Wolfgang Klimesch
2
VO SpezBio, SS 2009 Univ Prof. Dr. Wolfgang
Klimesch THEMENÜBERSICHT Klausur Mo 26.1.09
zur Vorlesungszeit Empfohlene und ergänzende
Lit. zur VL
Evolution of brain and intelligence Roth, G.,
Dicke, U. (2005). Evolution of the brain and
intelligence. Trends in Cognitive Science,
Vol.9(5), 250-257. Evolution of brain,
intelligence and metabolic correlates Leonard,
W.R., Robertson, M., Snodgrass, J., Kuzawa, Ch.
(2003). Metabolic correlates of hominid brain
evolution. Comparative Biochemistry and
Physiology Part A 136, 5-15. Brain structures
and intelligence Haier, R. J., Jung, R. E., Yeo,
R. A., Head, K., Alkire, M. T. (2004).
Structural brain variation and general
intelligence. Neuroimage, 23, 425-433. Luders,
E., Narr, K. I., Bilder, R. M., Szeszko, P. R.,
Gurbani, M. N., Hamilton, L., et al. (2008).
Mapping the relationship between cortical
convolution and intelligence Effects of gender.
Cerebral Cortex, 18(9), 2019-2026. Luders, E.,
Narr, K. L., Thompson, P. M., Toga, A. W.
Neuroanatomical correlates of intelligence.
Intelligence, In Press, Corrected Proof. Luders,
E., Narr, K. L., Zaidel, E., Thompson, P. M.,
Jancke, L., Toga, A. W. (2006). Parasagittal
asymmetries of the corpus callosum. Cerebral
Cortex, 16(3), 346-354. Narr, K. L., Woods, R.
P., Thompson, P. M., Szeszko, P., Robinson, D.,
Dimtcheva, T., et al. (2007). Relationships
between IQ and regional cortical gray matter
thickness in healthy adults. Cerebral Cortex,
17(9), 2163-2171. Rilling, J. K., Insel, T. R.
(1999). The primate neocortex in comparative
perspective using magnetic resonance imaging.
Journal of Human Evolution, 37(2), 191-223. Shaw,
P., Greenstein, D., Lerch, J., Clasen, L.,
Lenroot, R., Gotgay, N., Evans, A., Rapoport, J.,
Giedd, J. (2006). Intellectual ability and
cortical development in children and adolescents.
Nature, Vol. 440 (30, 676-679.
3
Evolution of brain and intelligence

• In evolutionary psychology, behavioral
  flexibility is considered a good measure of
  intelligence.
• Intelligence has involved many times and
  independently among different classes of animals.
  This conclusion is based on evidence showing e.g.
  that
• among vertebrates
• - mammals and birds are (on the average) more
  intelligent than animals in other classes.
• Among mammals,
• - primates and cetaceans are more intelligent
• Among primates
• apes are more intelligent than monkeys
• Among apes
• - chimpanzees are most intelligent, etc..
• Thus, intelligence evolved independently in
  different classes of vertebrates (e.g., in
  mammals and birds) and in different orders of the
  same class (e.g. in primates and cetaceans within
  the class of mammals).

4
Absolute brain size and intelligence
11500 x 106
11500 x 106
Number of neurons 160 x 106
6200 x 106
about 64g
about 1.35 kg
Whales between about 2.6 -9 kg
about 1.35 kg
From Roth Dicke (2005).
5
The allometric function Brain size becomes
absolutely larger, but relatively smaller. Or in
other words, the increase in brain size lags
behind the increase in body size.
Exponent of power function (between brain volume
und body size) is between 06 0.8. But cortical
volume increases faster than brain volume, with
an exponent of 1.13.
6
The steep increase in brain size in hominides is
possibly due to genetic mechanisms affecting cell
devision during embryonal cortical grow.
7
Evolution of brain, intelligence and metabolic
correlates
From Leonard et al. (2003).
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12

• Baby body fat enables brain growth by
• having a ready supply of stored energy in periods
  when food is lacking
• Reducing total energy costs (e.g., by not having
  to explore the environment for food)

13
(No Transcript)
14
Brain metabolic rate is associated with increase
in brain size
15
Brain structures and intelligence Global
measures Brain volume - Highest correlations
are found for Gray Matter Volume
Total Brain Volume
Gray Matter Volume
White Matter Volume
Reference Luders et al. (2008), Intelligence
16
Cortical Thickness - measures range between 1.5
and 4.5 mm - Only (significant) positive
correlations are observed, but in specific
regions comprising - frontal, temporal and
occipital regions
17
Cortical convolution Measures of cortical
folding/gyrification - Measuring mean curvature
exhibits positive correlations in left
temporo-occipital lobe
Posterior cingulate gyrus (retrosplenial areas)
Phylogenetic research indicates that brains of
larger primates (who are most likely also more
intelligent) are more highly folded than brains
of smaller primates (e.g., Rilling Insel, 1999)
18
Corpus Callosum (CC) The CC connects the two
hemispheres through about 200 million fibers -
Global measures (of the area in the sagittal
plain) show a positive correlation with cognitive
performance. - Segment-specific analyses
reveal significant positive correlations in more
posterior segments NOTE These correlations are
corrected for brain volume (brain size)
anterior
posterior
posterior
anterior
19
The development of intellectual ability and
cortical thickness (After Shaw et al. 2006)
12-17
17-29
8-12
4-8
20
Different trajectories of cortical development as
a function of intelligence
21
Nonlinearities in the development of intellectual
ability and cortical thickness
Statistical maps representing group differences
between superior intelligence (SI) and average
intelligence (AI) groups. Note that the SI has
a thinner prefrontal cortex at age 7. The SI and
AI groups did not differ with respect to
handedness and gender but with respect to
socio-economic status.