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Electrophysiological resting-state signatures link polygenic scores to general intelligence

Intelligence is associated with important life outcomes. Behavioral, genetic, structural, and functional brain correlates of intelligence have been studied for decades, but questions remain as to how genetics are related to trait expression and what intermediary role brain properties play. This stud...

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Main Authors: Englert, Rebecca (Author) , Stammen, Christina (Author) , Arnau, Stefan (Author) , Schneider Penate, Javier (Author) , Metzen, Dorothea (Author) , Digutsch, Jan (Author) , Gajewski, Patrick D. (Author) , Getzmann, Stephan (Author) , Fraenz, Christoph (Author) , Reinders, Jörg (Author) , Voelkle, Manuel C. (Author) , Streit, Fabian (Author) , Ocklenburg, Sebastian (Author) , Schneider, Daniel (Author) , Burke, Michael (Author) , Hengstler, Jan G. (Author) , Watzl, Carsten (Author) , Nitsche, Michael A. (Author) , Kumsta, Robert (Author) , Wascher, Edmund (Author) , Genç, Erhan (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 21 November 2025
In: Scientific reports
Year: 2025, Volume: 15, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-20
ISSN:2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-26778-4
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-26778-4
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-26778-4
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Author Notes:Rebecca Engler, Christina Stammen, Stefan Arnau, Javier Schneider Penate, Dorothea Metzen, Jan Digutsch, Patrick D. Gajewski, Stephan Getzmann, Christoph Fraenz, Jörg Reinders, Manuel C. Voelkle, Fabian Streit, Sebastian Ocklenburg, Daniel Schneider, Michael Burke, Jan G. Hengstler, Carsten Watzl, Michael A. Nitsche, Robert Kumsta, Edmund Wascher & Erhan Genç
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Summary:Intelligence is associated with important life outcomes. Behavioral, genetic, structural, and functional brain correlates of intelligence have been studied for decades, but questions remain as to how genetics are related to trait expression and what intermediary role brain properties play. This study investigated these mediations in a representative sample of 434 individuals, comprising young and older adults. Polygenic scores (PGS) for intelligence were calculated. Resting-state EEG recordings were analyzed using graph theory quantifying functional connectivity across different frequencies. We tested whether global and local graph metrics like efficiency and clustering mediated the association between PGS and intelligence. PGS significantly predicted variance in intelligence and were related to frequency-specific graph metrics in areas predominantly located in parieto-frontal regions, which in turn were associated with intelligence. These findings, based on the first study linking PGS to intelligence using EEG-derived graph metrics, identify candidate pathways through which genetic variation may shape intelligence, providing a foundation for future hypothesis-driven investigations. Data for this study were collected as part of the Dortmund Vital Study (https://www.researchprotocols.org/2022/3/e32352; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05155397).
Item Description:Gesehen am 26.01.2026
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-26778-4

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