Cortical morphometry in frontoparietal and default mode networks in math-gifted adolescents Articles uri icon

authors

  • NAVAS SANCHEZ, FRANCISCO JAVIER
  • CARMONA CAÑABATE, SUSANA
  • ALEMAN GOMEZ, YASSER
  • SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, FRANCISCO JAVIER
  • GUZMAN DE VILLORIA LEBIEDZIEJEWSKI, JUAN ADAN
  • FRANCO, CAROLINA
  • ROBLES, OLALLA
  • ARANGO, CELSO
  • DESCO MENENDEZ, MANUEL

publication date

  • May 2016

start page

  • 1893

end page

  • 1902

issue

  • 5

volume

  • 37

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1065-9471

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1097-0193

abstract

  • Math-gifted subjects are characterized by above-age performance in intelligence tests, exceptional creativity, and high task commitment. Neuroimaging studies reveal enhanced functional brain organization and white matter microstructure in the frontoparietal executive network of math-gifted individuals. However, the cortical morphometry of these subjects remains largely unknown. The main goal of this study was to compare the cortical morphometry of math-gifted adolescents with that of an age- and IQ-matched control group. We used surface-based methods to perform a vertex-wise analysis of cortical thickness and surface area. Our results show that math-gifted adolescents present a thinner cortex and a larger surface area in key regions of the frontoparietal and default mode networks, which are involved in executive processing and creative thinking, respectively.

subjects

  • Biology and Biomedicine
  • Computer Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Medicine

keywords

  • area; cortex; default mode; frontoparietal; math-giftedness; thickness; human cerebral-cortex; white-matter microstructure; voxel-based morphometry; surface-based analysis; gray-matter; mental rotation; prefrontal cortex; brain maturation; parietal cortex; visual-cortex