| Title: | Cognitive mediation of social complexity-brain volume associations in a population-based sample |
| Journal: | Evolution and Human Behavior |
| Published: | 1 Jul 2026 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2026.106866 |
Publication 20485
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Abstract
The social brain hypothesis suggests that complex social environments have driven brain evolution in primates. While this hypothesis concerns evolutionary processes, it raises the question of whether social complexity continues to relate to brain structure and cognition in contemporary humans. Using data from the population-based UK Biobank cohort, we developed a novel measure of social complexity and examined its associations with cognition and brain structure. Social complexity was associated with total grey matter volume, as well as regional volumes in right-lateralized and evolutionarily older areas, including the cerebellum, pallidum, and inferior lateral occipital cortex. Social complexity was also broadly related to cognitive performance. Structural equation modeling revealed that the association between social complexity and brain volume was mediated by cognition. These findings suggest that individual differences in social environments are meaningfully linked to brain structure and cognitive function, and highlight cognition as a key pathway in this relationship.</p>
2 Authors
- Mila C. Roozen
- Martien J.H. Kas
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 91026 | The social brain hypothesis revisited: Evaluating signatures of selection pressure in genes regulating social complexity, neurobiology and neuropsychiatric disorders |
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