The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet we know little about the specific genetic loci influencing human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants impacting cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain MRI data from 35,660 individuals with replication in 15,578 individuals. We analysed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specialisations. We identified 206 nominally significant loci (P ≤ 5 x 10 -8 ); 150 survived multiple testing correction (P ≤ 8.3 x 10 -10 ; 140 surface area; 10 thickness). We found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci impacting regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signalling pathways, known to influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson9s disease, insomnia, depression and ADHD. NOTE: K.L.G. and N.J. contributed to this work as co-first authors for this preprint. J.N.P., L.C.-C., J.B., D.P.H., P.A.L., F.P. contributed to this work as co-second authors for this preprint. J.L.S., P.M.T., S.E.M. contributed to this work as co-last authors for this preprint.