A new study will be published tomorrow revealing that, on average, human brains mature later in those people who have the greatest intelligence. This research was done using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the regions of children’s brains as they matured (example of an MRI pictured, right. Source linked from image). The scientists’ data show that the outer portion of the brain, the cortex — or the thinking part of the brain — thickens and then thins during early childhood years, when the children were approximately 6 years old. However, they found that kids with greater intelligence show these same changes later than those with average intelligence — some as late as 11 years of age.
How might this slowed pattern of brain development contribute to increased intelligence? This delay may promote higher intelligence because it means a child is older and is therefore processing more complex experiences while the cortex is still maturing, said study co-author Judith Rapoport. By mapping out the precise details of normal brain development in humans, this research could help scientists and doctors to understand how brain disorders develop. Results appear in tomorrow’s issue of the top-tier journal, Nature.