Scientific American: Reasoning Training Increases Brain Connectivity Associated with High-Level Cognition

A number of studies across various domains– from juggling to taxi navigation to meditation to music to motor learning to processing speed– demonstrate the importance of experience on patterns of neural connectivity. Finally, the cognitive ability domain is catching up.

In recent years, neuroscientists have discovered a large-scale brain network critical for novel and complex goal-directed problem solving. According to Aron Barbey and colleagues, a major function of this network is the manipulation, integration, and control of distributed patterns of neural activity throughout the brain, including lower-level sensory and motor modules. This neural integrative architecture– sometimes referred to as the prefrontal parietal network– involves efficient and reliable communication between specific areas of the lateral prefrontal cortex (critical for high-level abstract integration) and posterior parietal lobe (critical for sensory integration). Here’s an illustration of the key regions of this neural architecture, along with the critical white matter tract binding these regions together into a coordinated network. [Full Article]

US News: Scientists Complete 1st Map of ‘Emotional Intelligence’ in the Brain

Scans of injured Vietnam vets show overlap of these skills with general intelligence

Researchers have completed the first detailed map of brain regions involved in emotional intelligence, which refers to the ability to identify, understand, manage and use emotions in positive ways. [Full Article]

Scientific American: Emotional Smarts Tied to General IQ

Emotional smarts and general intelligence may be more closely linked than previously thought, new research suggests.

In a group of Vietnam veterans, IQ test results and emotional intelligence, or the ability to perceive, understand and deal with emotion in oneself or in others, were linked. And in brain scans, the same regions of the brain seemed to perform both emotional and cognitive tasks, the study found. The findings were published in the journal Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience. [Full Article]

nbc news

NBC News: Emotional Smarts Tied to General IQ

Emotional smarts and general intelligence may be more closely linked than previously thought, new research suggests.

In a group of Vietnam veterans, IQ test results and emotional intelligence, or the ability to perceive, understand and deal with emotion in oneself or in others, were linked. And in brain scans, the same regions of the brain seemed to perform both emotional and cognitive tasks, the study found. The findings were published in the journal Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience. [Full Article]

Illinois News Bureau: Researchers map emotional intelligence in the brain

CHAMPAIGN, lll. — A new study of 152 Vietnam veterans with combat-related brain injuries offers the first detailed map of the brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence – the ability to process emotional information and navigate the social world. [Full Article]

Distributed neural system for emotional intelligence revealed by lesion mapping

Barbey AK, Colom R, Grafman J. 2012. Distributed neural system for emotional intelligence revealed by lesion mapping. Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience. [PDF]

An integrative architecture for general intelligence and executive function revealed by lesion mapping.

Barbey AK, Colom R, Solomon J, Krueger F, Forbes C, Grafman J. 2012. An integrative architecture for general intelligence and executive function revealed by lesion mapping. Brain. [PDF]

The Science Coalition: Brain Injury, Intelligence & Impairment at UIUC

Researchers at the University of Illinois studied survivors of brain injury to map the architecture of intelligence, and whether damage to specific regions of the brain can be mapped to specific post-injury impairments, including measurements of working memory, and visual and spacial reasoning. [View Video]

NHPR: Breaking Down the Brain

Scientists at the University of Illinois report that they have mapped the physical architecture of the brain with accuracy never before achieved. Their study, published in Brain: A Journal of Neurology is the largest, most comprehensive analysis so far of the brain structures vital to general intelligence –which depends on a remarkably circumscribed neural system – and to specific cognitive functions, like memory, self-control and recognizing speech.

Get it?

We didn’t, so we asked neurology professor and lead author Dr. Aron Barbey to walk us through the study. [Full Article]