November 5, 2001, Monday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 20
LENGTH: 105 words
INTELLIGENCE is mainly determined before birth, scientists said yesterday.
Research found that the amount of grey matter in the brain, which affects language skills as well as IQ, is mostly genetic. A team led by Dr Paul Thompson, from the University of California in Los Angeles, used new 3D imaging techniques to compare the brains of 20 pairs of twins.
Their report, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, said the results "reveal a strong relationship between genes, brain structure and behaviour".
Recent studies have also suggested genetics affect personality traits such as coping with stress.
LOAD-DATE: November 5, 2001