Chunk #232 — VIII. A possible underlying neurobiology: connectivity constellations — B. Quality and/or quantity of connections involved in vulnerabilities
As noted above, twin study data supports substantial shared overall genetic influences on cognitive abilities and brain volumes [246, 247]. Comparison of genome wide association datasets for these two traits documents substantial overlaps that are much greater than chance and that again identify “connectivity constellation” genes. One of the strongest risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease that can be identified in the literature is baseline cognitive abilities, as reflected in individual differences in educational attainment, for example [252, 253]. We have identified strong overlap between genome-wide association results for cognitive ability and those for Alzheimer’s disease that includes a number of “connectivity constellation” genes.
