Allergic tendencies are associated with larger gray matter volumes

Abstract

Allergic tendencies are associated with important cognitive and physiological factors, such as intelligence and mathematical abilities. Allergies are widely prevalent, especially in modern life, and the reason for its association with important cognitive variables is an intriguing scientific question. However, despite the unique characteristics of cognitive correlates of allergy, the anatomical correlates of allergy remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the associations between regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and allergic tendencies in young adults. In a study cohort of 1,219 healthy, educated young adults, we identified a positive correlation between total allergic tendency and rGMV in large anatomical clusters that mainly encompassed the dorsal part of the cerebral neocortex, right anterior insula, and cerebellum. Furthermore, both mean rGMV of the entire part of these clusters and total allergenic tendency showed a significant positive correlation with spatial ability. These results suggest the link among allergic tendencies, larger rGMV, and the better spatial ability in healthy, educated young adults.