GENES which help to make you brainier in middle age have been discovered by scientists.
A study led by Edinburgh University, which involved 54,000 people around the world, found people who performed better in cognitive tests also shared certain genetic traits.
Analysis of their DNA led the team to conclude at least 28 per cent of cognitive ability in those over the age of 45 is due to the genes they have inherited. The rest can be put down to other influences, such as social background, and other genetic variations.
The study, which has been described as a "real breakthrough," is an early step in the search for genes which contribute to differences in thinking skills - a mission which it is hoped will help give new insight into the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Some genes which have been linked to the illness were also associated with cognitive ability during the study.
Professor Ian Deary, director of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology which led the research, said: "Before this study we knew that general thinking skills in older age were heritable to some extent, but we did not know which genes were involved. These small genetic signals are like the first lights on a distant shore. We find that, with these types of genetic studies, the larger the number of people tested, the more genetic signals emerge. These findings are exciting in themselves, but they herald more such discoveries as the studies grow in size."
He added: "One of the major concerns is the loss of cognitive ability that some people experience with age. A part of that is due to genetic differences. This type of research tries to locate the genes involved, and how they work."
James Goodwin, head of research for the charity Age UK, said: "These findings are a real breakthrough, for the first time identifying genes that influence the way our brains work in older age. This work will be invaluable in understanding how our minds age and how dementia develops. It is also likely to play an important role in shaping our future thinking about health care and public health".
The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, involved researchers from a range of European countries, the United States and Australia.
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