| Title: | The genetic landscape of human functional brain connectivity |
| Journal: | Nature Communications |
| Published: | 24 Feb 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41735316/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69442-9 |
| URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69442-9 |
Publication 17645
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Abstract
Investigating the genetic underpinnings of functional brain connectivity is essential to understand how genetic variation influences brain health and disease. Here, a mass-univariate approach was adopted to study the genetic architecture of functional brain circuitry (Ntotal = 28,159 subjects) with high spatial resolution (82 brain regions). Common genetic variants explained individual differences in 33% of all 3321 inter-regional functional pathways with 72 significant associations reflecting widespread, pleiotropic effects across the connectome. These associations were mapped to five genes - PAX8, EphA3, SLC39A12, THBS1 and APOE - with known associations with brain phenotypes and which converged in biological processes related to neurodevelopment and cardiovascular and cognitive traits (enrichment minimum p = 3.0 × 10−6 and p = 1.6 × 10−5, respectively). Our findings show that the genetic component of individual differences in functional brain connectivity is largely shared throughout the brain, highlighting the importance of genetic variation in large-scale brain organisation and its relationship with cognitive function and overall health.</p>
8 Authors
- Bernardo de APC Maciel
- Marijn Schipper
- Cato Romero
- Christiaan de Leeuw
- Koen Helwegen
- Danielle Posthuma
- Jeanne E. Savage
- Martijn P. van den Heuvel
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 16406 | Causes of individual differences in cognitive and mental health |
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