Canadian researchers discover the first-ever link between intelligence and curiosity

Canadian researchers discover the first-ever link between intelligence and
curiosity

TORONTO, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ - Scientists from the Samuel Lunenfeld Research
Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto have discovered a molecular link
between intelligence and curiosity, which may lead to the development of drugs
to improve learning.
In a paper, published in Neuron, Dr. John Roder, Senior Investigator at the
Lunenfeld, and Bechara Saab, Ph.D candidate at the Lunenfeld, studied the
interaction of two proteins in a small region of the brain called the dentate
gyrus (part of the hippocampus, which plays a role in long-term memory and
spatial navigation).
For the study, the neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1), a protein which is known
to affect the memory of worms and is linked to bipolar and schizophrenia in
people, was increased by one-and-a-half fold specifically in the dentate gyrus
of mouse models. This modest overexpression increased the ability of brain
cells to change how they communicate with each other and gave the mice
superior memory in complex tasks and a significant increase in exploratory
behaviour (curiosity). Because the exploratory behaviour was only altered in
safe environments, Dr. Roder and Saab believe they have discovered a region of
the brain that generates curiosity and a model for how brain activity leads to
curiosity.
The researchers also discovered that both curiosity and spatial memory were
impaired when a benign drug blocked the NCS-1 protein from binding to the
dopamine type-2 receptors (a major target of anti-psychotics) in the dentate
gyrus.
"Now that we know that some of the molecules and brain regions that control
learning and memory also control curiosity, we can go back to the lab and
design drugs that may improve cognition in humans - that's the potential
benefit for the future," explains Saab. "Immediately, however, we can put into
use the knowledge that fostering curiosity should also foster intelligence and
vice versa."
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

About the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute:
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For information, please visit www.lunenfeld.ca

SOURCE Mount Sinai Hospital

Media contact: Melissa McDermott, Mount Sinai Hospital, (416) 586-4800 ext.
8306, mmcdermott@mtsinai.on.ca