SynthesisProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2014
Common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance identified using the proxy-phenotype method.
Erratum issuedOpen access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph
Synthesis in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 137 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
137citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
27.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
What it found
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Who cites it
137 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 285 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationships between anxiety, depression and wound healing outcomes in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of age-related cognitive decline reveals a novel locus for the attention domain and implicates a COVID-19-related gene for global cognitive function.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2023Pooled it
- A genome-wide search for pleiotropy in more than 100,000 harmonized longitudinal cognitive domain scores.Molecular neurodegeneration · 2023Pooled it
- Genome-wide association studies of the self-rating of effects of ethanol (SRE).Addiction biology · 2020Pooled it
- A Polygenic Score for Higher Educational Attainment is Associated with Larger Brains.Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) · 2019Pooled it
- Discovery of the first genome-wide significant risk loci for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Nature genetics · 2019Pooled it
- Genome-wide association meta-analysis of 78,308 individuals identifies new loci and genes influencing human intelligence.Nature genetics · 2017Pooled it
- GWAS meta-analysis reveals novel loci and genetic correlates for general cognitive function: a report from the COGENT consortium.Molecular psychiatry · 2017Pooled it
- The role of host genetic factors in respiratory tract infectious diseases: systematic review, meta-analyses and field synopsis.Scientific reports · 2015Pooled it
- Independent evidence for an association between general cognitive ability and a genetic locus for educational attainment.American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics · 2015Pooled it
- Genetic contributions to variation in general cognitive function: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in the CHARGE consortium (N=53949).Molecular psychiatry · 2015Pooled it
- Analysis of whole exome sequencing in severe mental illness hints at selection of brain development and immune related genes.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Genetic Variation in Steroid and Xenobiotic Metabolizing Pathways and Enterolactone Excretion Before and After Flaxseed Intervention in African American and European American Women.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2019Trial
- Genetic links between multimorbidity and human aging.GeroScience · 2026Article
- The genetic overlap between schizophrenia and major depression with cognitive function.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Genetic drivers of progression in Alzheimer's disease are distinct from disease risk.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2026Article
- Ancient regulatory evolution shapes individual language abilities in present-day humans.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- The therapeutic potential and mechanisms of targeting the PTBP1/Nogo-A/NgR axis in PTSD induced by single prolonged stress in mice.Experimental & molecular medicine · 2026Article
- Charting the cognitive development of children using adult 'polygenic g scores'.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Genetic association analyses of cognitive performance across multi-ancestry older adults: Application of Tobit models.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2025Article
77 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
59 authors at 20 institutions in 9 countries.
Cornelius A RietveldDepartment of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Departments of Epidemiology.
Tõnu EskoDivision of Genetics and Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Estonian Genome Center, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia;
Gail DaviesCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, and.
Tune H PersDivision of Genetics and Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142;
Patrick TurleyDepartments of Economics and.
Beben BenyaminQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
Christopher F ChabrisDepartment of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308;
Valur EmilssonIcelandic Heart Association, 201 Kopavogur, Iceland; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland;
Andrew D JohnsonFramingham Heart Study, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Framingham, MA 01702;
James J LeePsychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344;
Christiaan de LeeuwDepartment of Complex Trait Genetics, VU University Amsterdam and VU Medical Center, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Machine Learning Group, Intelligent Systems, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
Riccardo E MarioniCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine and.
Sarah E MedlandQuantitative Genetics Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia;
Michael B MillerDepartment of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344;
Olga RostapshovaHarvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139;
Sven J van der LeeGenetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and.
Anna A E VinkhuyzenQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
Najaf AminGenetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and.
Dalton ConleyDepartment of Sociology and.
Jaime DerringerDepartment of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61820;
Cornelia M van DuijnGenetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Centre for Medical Systems Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands;
Rudolf FehrmannDepartment of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands;
Lude FrankeDepartment of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands;
Edward L GlaeserDepartments of Economics and.
Narelle K HansellNeuroimaging Genetics Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia;
Caroline HaywardCentre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine and Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom;
William G IaconoDepartment of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344;
Carla Ibrahim-VerbaasHarvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139; Neurology, and.
Vincent JaddoeDepartments of Epidemiology, Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
Juha KarjalainenDepartment of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands;
David LaibsonDepartments of Economics and.
Paul LichtensteinDepartments of Economics and.
David C LiewaldCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology.
Patrik K E MagnussonDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden;
Nicholas G MartinGenetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia;
Matt McGueDepartment of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344;
George McMahonSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR, United Kingdom;
Nancy L PedersenDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden;
Steven PinkerPsychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
David J PorteousCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine and.
Danielle PosthumaDepartment of Complex Trait Genetics, VU University Amsterdam and VU Medical Center, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
Fernando RivadeneiraDepartments of Epidemiology, Internal Medicine.
Blair H SmithMedical Research Institute, University of Dundee, Dundee DD2 4RB, United Kingdom;
John M StarrCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom;
Henning TiemeierDepartments of Epidemiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
Nicholas J TimpsonMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR, United Kingdom;
Maciej TrzaskowskiMedical Research Council Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom;
André G UitterlindenDepartments of Epidemiology, Internal Medicine.
Frank C VerhulstDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
Mary E WardSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR, United Kingdom;
Margaret J WrightNeuroimaging Genetics Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia;
George Davey SmithMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR, United Kingdom;
Ian J DearyCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, and.
Magnus JohannessonDepartment of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, 113 83 Stockholm, Sweden;
Robert PlominMedical Research Council Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom;
Peter M VisscherQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia;
Daniel J BenjaminDepartment of Economics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; daniel.benjamin@gmail.com p.d.koellinger@uva.nl.
David CesariniCenter for Experimental Social Science, Department of Economics, New York University, New York, NY 10012; Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Decision Making, New York University, New York, NY 10012; and daniel.benjamin@gmail.com p.d.koellinger@uva.nl.
Philipp D KoellingerDepartment of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Departments of Epidemiology, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands daniel.benjamin@gmail.com p.d.koellinger@uva.nl.
Harvard University Press · USQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute · AUErasmus University Rotterdam · NLMedical Research Council · GBThe University of Queensland · AUUniversity of Bristol · GBUniversity of Minnesota · USAmsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLInstitut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod · FRKarolinska Institutet · SEUniversity of Groningen · NLBroad Institute · USCentre of Experimental Medicine of the Slovak Academy of Sciences · SKCornell University · USFramingham Heart Study · USHarvard University · USIcelandic Heart Association · ISKing's College London · GBLeiden University Medical Center · NLNew York University · US
Funding
Understanding and Improving Healthcare Decision-Making and Outcomes for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related DementiasP01AG005842 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI JOSEPH J DOYLE · 1986 to 2026
$56.5MCardiovascular Genomics and Bioinformatics projectsZIAHL006170 · NHLBI · NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE · PI JOHNSON, ANDREW · 2013 to 2025
$25.3MNBER Center for Aging and Health Research-Post COVID-19 Experiences Among Adults with ADRDP30AG012810 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI DAVID M CUTLER · 1999 to 2026
$24.6MNBER Training Program in Aging and Health EconomicsT32AG000186 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI CUTLER, DAVID M, FINKELSTEIN, AMY N. · 1989 to 2024
$9.6MTWIN STUDY OF FEMALE ALCOHOLISMS AND OTHER DISORDERSR01AA009367 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI MCGUE, MATTHEW K. · 1992 to 2013
$9.0MInfrastructure for Population Research at PrincetonR24HD047879 · NICHD · PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · PI MASSEY, DOUGLAS S · 2004 to 2013
$7.3MTwin Family Study of Vulnerability to Substance AbuseR37DA005147 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI IACONO, WILLIAM G. · 2009 to 2018
$6.4MA Longitudinal Study of Adopted Youth and Their FamiliesR01MH066140 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI MCGUE, MATTHEW K. · 2003 to 2013
$5.8MAdolescent drinking and midlife outcomes: A prospective cotwin control studyR37AA009367 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI MCGUE, MATTHEW K. · 2016 to 2024
$5.4MResearch Training: Mental Health Behavior GeneticsT32MH016880 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER · PI Naomi P. Friedman, Matthew Charles Keller · 1985 to 2026
$5.3MTWIN STUDY OF ADHD, CD, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSER01DA013240 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI IACONO, WILLIAM G. · 2000 to 2010
$5.0MSIBLING MODELS OF ADOLESCENT ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSER01AA011886 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI MCGUE, MATTHEW K. · 1998 to 2008
$2.5MBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/F019394/1Chief Scientist Office CZB/4/505Chief Scientist Office CZD/16/6/4Chief Scientist Office ETM/55Medical Research Council G0500079Medical Research Council G0901245Medical Research Council G9815508Medical Research Council MC_PC_15018Medical Research Council MC_PC_U127561128Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/3Medical Research Council MR/K026992/1NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA011886NIAAA NIH HHS R37 AA009367NIA NIH HHS P01 AG005842NIA NIH HHS P01AG005842NIA NIH HHS P01AG005842-20S2NIA NIH HHS P30 AG012810NIA NIH HHS P30AG012810NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000186NIA NIH HHS T32AG000186-23NICHD NIH HHS R24 HD047879NIDA NIH HHS F31 DA029377NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA013240NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA024417NIDA NIH HHS R37 DA005147NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH066140NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH016880Wellcome Trust 102215
Abstract
We identify common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance using a two-stage approach, which we call the proxy-phenotype method. First, we conduct a genome-wide association study of educational attainment in a large sample (n = 106,736), which produces a set of 69 education-associated SNPs. Second, using independent samples (n = 24,189), we measure the association of these education-associated SNPs with cognitive performance. Three SNPs (rs1487441, rs7923609, and rs2721173) are significantly associated with cognitive performance after correction for multiple hypothesis testing. In an independent sample of older Americans (n = 8,652), we also show that a polygenic score derived from the education-associated SNPs is associated with memory and absence of dementia. Convergent evidence from a set of bioinformatics analyses implicates four specific genes (KNCMA1, NRXN1, POU2F3, and SCRT). All of these genes are associated with a particular neurotransmitter pathway involved in synaptic plasticity, the main cellular mechanism for learning and memory.
Indexed as
Polymorphism, Single NucleotideCalcium-Binding ProteinsCell Adhesion Molecules, NeuronalCognitionFemaleHumansLearningMaleMemoryMultifactorial InheritanceNerve Tissue ProteinsNeural Cell Adhesion MoleculesNeuronal PlasticityOctamer Transcription FactorsSynaptic TransmissionCalcium-Binding ProteinsCell Adhesion Molecules, NeuronalNerve Tissue ProteinsNeural Cell Adhesion MoleculesNRXN1 protein, humanOctamer Transcription FactorsPOU2F3 protein, human
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