The caudate nuclei, parts of the brain affected by Huntington’s disease
KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
The genetic mutation that causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating brain condition, may have been selected for by evolution because it also leads to higher intelligence in people’s childhood and 20s.
This idea may not only lead to a rethink of strategies to treat Huntington’s, but could also change our perspective on the genetics of intelligence. “There are a lot of implications for our understanding of the biology of the brain,” says Jordan Schultz at the University…
Article amended on 23 November 2023
This article has been changed to correct information about the young adult study and the research that supports the toxicity idea.
