Do You Have a Brain That Helps You Succeed? BRAIN Initiative Unveils Groundbreaking Insights Linking Cortical Connectivity to Personal Success

This year, a topic as hot as precision medicine is the BRAIN Initiative. The latest set of research findings from this project were recently published in Cell (September 24) and Nature Neuroscience (September 28). These findings appear to reveal how the brain helps you achieve success—or, put another way, do you have a brain that facilitates success? This marks the first celebratory and prominent release of research outcomes from the BRAIN Initiative. Next, I began to ponder whether it is better to replace the brain or to change one’s “mindset.” (Aren’t Chinese scientists researching and exploring “head transplantation”?)


The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a proponent and funder of the “BRAIN Initiative,” also released a news report titled “Unveiling the Brain’s Secrets to Success: Peak Performance Stems from Cortical Expansion and Connectivity.” This research finding further elucidates why the human cerebral cortex has expanded by more than 1,000-fold compared to that of other higher primates during species evolution.The study further explores the secrets behind individual success: if proactive personality and career achievement—such as attaining higher education, high income, and a high-quality, comfortable personal life—are used as criteria, then the test results indicate that “brains with potential for success” are more willing to engage with others and more adept at positive communication.(Even in situations of idleness).

Specifically,Kriegstein and colleagues found that a special support system—neural stem cells—is embedded within the structure of the human cerebral cortex. These cells function to produce additional neurons during brain development, thereby contributing to the formation of the outer layers of the cerebral cortex, among other structures.This phenomenon is virtually absent during the brain development of other lower-order animals. This support system—the amplification and replication capacity of neural stem cells—relies on an ingenious self-renewal mechanism inherent to these cells. The newly generated neurons can even integrate into broader cortical regions and deeper brain neural network systems. The latest findings from this study not only enable scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying cerebral cortex development but also provide insights into how to investigate human-specific brain disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. These conditions, being unique to humans, cannot be replicated in animal models for laboratory research.

Another research group, led by Professor Smith, conducted a study on higher-order neural functions and neuronal connectivity in 461 individuals. The study primarily examined the relationship between neuronal connectivity and higher-order brain functions, such as the correlation between behavioral functions and psychological factors. The project assessed up to 280 objective indicators, including IQ, language proficiency, unconventional behaviors, and anger responses. These metrics largely reflected traits associated with individual proactivity and ambition, such as exceptional memory and cognitive abilities, lifestyle and life satisfaction, attainment of higher education, and personal income. The assessment results indicated that the connectivity architecture of the cerebral cortex was at least three times more correlated with career success rates and potential capabilities. In other words, the connectivity patterns and architectural organization of the cerebral cortex directly influence each individual’s intelligence and cognitive capacities, including memory, imagination, social skills, value-based decision-making, and adaptive behavioral competence.

In short, the “BRAIN Initiative” appears to have ushered in a new chapter in our quest to understand the functions of our own brain—though it may well be impossible for the brain to fully comprehend itself. Nevertheless, this remains one of the most challenging scientific endeavors. Many years ago, during my clinical internship at a psychiatric hospital, I observed the communication and daily lives of patients with mental illness. I was always curious about how they thought and formed memories; at times, their logical reasoning seemed extraordinary. To this day, this remains one of the questions that perplexes me the most.

To browse more excellent articles by Professor Shi Zhanxiang, please clickDr. Shi Zhanxiang’s Column: Article Index

Published on VCBeat with authorization from Mr. Zhan Xiangshi. Please obtain the author’s permission for any reprints.

WeChat Official Account: sasctm