People with big brains will be smarter, remember longer?

Based on huge data warehouses, scientists have found a solution to this question for nearly 200 years.

For more than 200 years, scientists have been constantly trying to find the relationship between brain and intelligence. They start from the most rudimentary methods such as measuring the volume or circumference of the skull. In the past few decades, when MRI magnetic resonance imaging appeared to help measure the brain correctly, the studies became more sophisticated.

However, the relationship between intelligence and brain size is still unclear and ambiguous because published studies are quite subjective.

The relationship between brain size and cognitive thinking ability

Professor Gideon Nave (of Pennsylvania's Whartin University) and Professor Philipp Koellinger (of Vrije Universiteit University of Amsterdam) conducted the largest-scale research in history to clarify this connection.

The total brain mass is directly proportional to the ability to perceive and absorb.(Photo: Shutterstock).

They used MRI data (including brain size and test results of cognitive ability, cognitive behavior of 13,600 participants) to study. The results show: There is a link between brain volume and cognitive test. However, this finding still comes with certain conditions.

" Cohesion exists . On average, a person with a larger brain tends to perform a cognitive test better than a person with a smaller brain. But that's just a small part of the whole. For the acceptance test, the effect of brain size on the results of the test is smaller than the cognitive test , " Nave said.

According to Professor Koellinger, this emphasizes that brain size is only 2%, cognitive tests depend on factors other than brain size (98%). However, the impact of brain size is strong enough to expect other future studies to shed light on the relationship between brain and cognition."We think our research is small but makes an important contribution to Psychological Science," he said.

If there are more neurons, you will have better memory

The research is based on huge data sets that contain information on more than half a million UK people - UK Biobank.

Koellinger said: "This huge scale and data (greater than 70% of all previous studies combined) allows us to examine the relationship between brain size and cognitive ability with high reliability. than'.

To measure cognitive ability, the study participants were instructed to do tests on logical thinking, memory and reflexes without relying on the knowledge they had acquired over time. Because this is not possible to accurately assess the general cognitive ability.

Even if other factors such as height, genetic and socioeconomic status are controlled, the results show that total brain volume is directly proportional to cognitive ability and receptive.

Nave said: "Similar to a computer, if there are more transistors (an electronic semiconductor device), you can calculate faster and transmit more information. Somewhat in the brain Also, if you have more neurons, you will have better memory , or you can accomplish many tasks at once ".

There are significant differences between brain size of men and women.(Photo: Getty).

One of the remarkable findings is that there is a significant difference between the brain size of men and women , but this does not affect the general cognitive ability. The female cortex (the outer layer of the front part of the brain) tends to be thicker in men. So although there is a relatively smaller brain, the cognitive abilities between men and women are not much different.

The authors also emphasized that measuring one's cognitive ability, intelligence, and sensitivity is a difficult task and brain size is only a small part of it. Therefore, when evaluating a person's intelligence, it is not possible to rely entirely on brain size. "Nobody should measure the size of the candidate to recruit ," Nave said happily.

In the future, researchers plan to study further, determine whether certain areas of the brain or connections between them affect cognitive ability.

"Imagine that you have all the biological elements needed to become a great tennis or tennis player, but you never have the opportunity to play. So you never realize your potential. " , Nave assumes.

When assessing a person's intelligence, it is not possible to rely entirely on brain size.(Photo: Shutterstock).

Koellinger added: "We hope that, if we can understand the biological factors involved in cognitive ability, we can know exactly how the environment will help people achieve. Their potential is the first step ".

Research results are published in the prestigious journal Psychological Science. This is considered the most comprehensive and largest study ever of this type.