In one of the largest-ever studies of DNA and brain volume, researchers have identified 254 genetic variants that shape key structures in the “deep brain,” including those that control memory, motor skills, addictive behaviors and more. The findings were just published in the journal Nature Genetics.

The study is powered by the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium, an international effort based at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, which unites more than 1,000 research labs across 45 countries to hunt for genetic variations that affect the brain’s structure and function.

Identifying brain regions that are larger or smaller in some groups (for example, people with a specific brain disease) compared to others can help scientists start to understand what causes dysfunction in the brain. Finding the genes that control the development of those brain regions offers a further clue about how to intervene.

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