Cited by 1,055Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsCognitive Abilities and TestingNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

The structural basis of inter-individual differences in human behaviour and cognition

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Kanai, Ryota, Rees, Geraint·2011·Nature reviews. Neuroscience

Abstract

Inter-individual variability in perception, thought and action is frequently treated as a source of 'noise' in scientific investigations of the neural mechanisms that underlie these processes, and discarded by averaging data from a group of participants. However, recent MRI studies in the human brain show that inter-individual variability in a wide range of basic and higher cognitive functions - including perception, motor control, memory, aspects of consciousness and the ability to introspect - can be predicted from the local structure of grey and white matter as assessed by voxel-based morphometry or diffusion tensor imaging. We propose that inter-individual differences can be used as a source of information to link human behaviour and cognition to brain anatomy.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nrn3000

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Authors
Kanai, R., & Rees, G.
Affiliations
Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
Venue
Nature reviews. Neuroscience
Published
2011-03-16
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
231-242
ISSN
  • 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0048
OpenAlex
W2016876321
Cited by
1,055
References
196
Citations by year
2026: 46 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 105 · 2018: 69 · 2017: 85 · 2016: 74 · 2015: 85 · 2014: 77 · 2013: 67 · 2012: 50
FWCI
10.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (082334)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
individual differences, brain structure, grey matter, white matter, voxel-based morphometry, diffusion tensor imaging, brain-behavior relationship, perception, motor control, memory, consciousness, self-reflection
MeSH terms
Attention, Awareness, Behavior, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Decision Making, Humans, Individuality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neuropsychological Tests, Perception, Personality, Reaction Time, Statistics as Topic

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