Exploring the Association between Childhood Intelligence and Vestibular Function: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Abstract
Background: Childhood intelligence is a critical developmental milestone influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The interplay between intelligence and vestibular function, which is increasingly recognized for its relevance to cognitive abilities, has not been extensively studied. This study aims to investigate the potential association between childhood intelligence and vestibular dysfunction.
Methods: Utilizing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, we analyzed data from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European ancestry. Genetic instruments were selected based on GWAS significance, independence, and F-statistics. We employed MR Egger, Weighted median, Inverse variance weighted (IVW), Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods for robustness checks.
Results: Our analysis identified a significant inverse association between childhood intelligence and the risk of vestibular dysfunction (IVW: OR= 0.907, 95% CI = 0.843 - 0.976, p= 0.009). The MR Egger intercept test did not indicate horizontal pleiotropy, and heterogeneity analysis suggested consistency in the results.
Conclusion: The study provides preliminary evidence of a negative correlation between childhood intelligence and vestibular dysfunction risk, suggesting that higher intelligence may be associated with a lower likelihood of vestibular issues. This finding underscores the importance of vestibular function in cognitive development and offers insights for early intervention strategies.
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16. Kurki MI, Karjalainen J, Palta P, et al (2023). FinnGen provides genetic insights from a well-phenotyped isolated population. Nature, 613 (7944):508-518.
17. Burgess S, Thompson SG (2017). Interpreting findings from Mendelian randomization using the MR-Egger method. Eur J Epidemiol, 32 (5):377-389.
18. Bowden J, Davey Smith G, Haycock PC, Burgess S (2016). Consistent Estimation in Mendelian Randomization with Some Invalid Instruments Using a Weighted Median Estimator. Genet Epidemiol, 40 (4):304-14.
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21. Almutairi A, Cochrane GD, Christy JB (2019). Vestibular and oculomotor function in children with CP: Descriptive study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 119:15-21.
22. Banas BB, Gorgon EJ (2014). Clinimetric properties of sitting balance measures for children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr, 34 (3):313-34.
23. Calzolari E, Chepisheva M, Smith RM, et al (2021). Vestibular agnosia in traumatic brain injury and its link to imbalance. Brain, 144 (1):128-143.
24. Kumar Goothy SS, Gawarikar S, Choudhary A, et al (2023). Effectiveness of electrical vestibular nerve stimulation as adjunctive therapy to improve the cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol, 34 (1):77-82.
25. Shallice T, Cipolotti L (2018). The Prefrontal Cortex and Neurological Impairments of Active Thought. Annu Rev Psychol, 69:157-180.
26. Friedman NP, Robbins TW (2022). The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47 (1):72-89.
27. Cotterill RM (2001). Cooperation of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, sensory cerebrum and hippocampus: possible implications for cognition, consciousness, intelligence and creativity. Prog Neurobiol, 64 (1):1-33.
28. Schmahmann JD (2019). The cerebellum and cognition. Neurosci Lett, 688:62-75.
29. Cohen HS, Lincoln CM, Pavlik VN, Sangi-Haghpeykar H (2022). Changes in Measures of Vestibular and Balance Function and Hippocampus Volume in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Otol Neurotol, 43 (6):e663-e670.
30. Jacob A, Tward DJ, Resnick S, et al (2020). Vestibular function and cortical and sub-cortical alterations in an aging population. Heliyon, 6 (8):e04728.
31. Ventre-Dominey J (2014). Vestibular function in the temporal and parietal cortex: distinct velocity and inertial processing pathways. Front Integr Neurosci, 8:53.
32. Guo J, Wang J, Liang P, et al (2024). Vestibular dysfunction leads to cognitive impairments: State of knowledge in the field and clinical perspectives (Review). Int J Mol Med, 53 (4).
2. Wang PJ, Liao HF, Kang LJ, et al (2021). Child and family factors that predict participation attendance in daily activities of toddlers with global developmental delay. Disabil Rehabil, 43 (13):1849-1860.
3. Flouri E, Moulton V, Ploubidis GB (2019). The role of intelligence in decision-making in early adolescence. Br J Dev Psychol, 37 (1):101-111.
4. Rommelse N, Langerak I, van der Meer J, et al (2015). Intelligence May Moderate the Cognitive Profile of Patients with ASD. PLoS One, 10 (10):e0138698.
5. Allegrini AG, Selzam S, Rimfeld K, von Stumm S, Pingault JB, Plomin R (2019). Genomic prediction of cognitive traits in childhood and adolescence. Mol Psychiatry, 24 (6):819-827.
6. Bigelow RT, Agrawal Y (2015). Vestibular involvement in cognition: Visuospatial ability, attention, executive function, and memory. J Vestib Res, 25 (2):73-89.
7. Agrawal Y, Smith PF, Rosenberg PB (2020). Vestibular impairment, cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease: balancing the evidence. Aging Ment Health, 24 (5):705-708.
8. Pineault K, Pearson D, Wei E, Kamil R, Klatt B, Agrawal Y (2020). Association Between Saccule and Semicircular Canal Impairments and Cognitive Performance Among Vestibular Patients. Ear Hear, 41 (3):686-692.
9. Gioacchini FM, Alicandri-Ciufelli M, Kaleci S, Magliulo G, Re M (2014). Prevalence and diagnosis of vestibular disorders in children: a review. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 78 (5):718-24.
10. Almutairi AB, Christy JB, Vogtle L (2020). Psychometric Properties of Clinical Tests of Balance and Vestibular-Related Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy. Pediatr Phys Ther, 32 (2):144-150.
11. Franic S, Dolan CV, van Beijsterveldt CE, Hulshoff Pol HE, Bartels M, Boomsma DI (2014). Genetic and environmental stability of intelligence in childhood and adolescence. Twin Res Hum Genet, 17 (3):151-63.
12. Palacios AM, Villanueva LM, Flynn MB, Parker E, Dickinson S, Bland HW, Reinhart GA (2022). Children Receiving a Nutrition and High-Quality Early Childhood Education Intervention Are Associated with Greater Math and Fluid Intelligence Scores: The Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries. Nutrients, 14 (7).
13. Liu S, Zhang L, Luo W (2024). Causality between alcohol usually taken with meals and Meniere disease: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study. Medicine (Baltimore), 103 (7):e37209.
14. Liu S, Zhang L, Deng D, Luo W (2024). Associations between benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and seven mental disorders: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Front Neurol, 15:1310026.
15. Birney E (2022). Mendelian Randomization. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med, 12 (4).
16. Kurki MI, Karjalainen J, Palta P, et al (2023). FinnGen provides genetic insights from a well-phenotyped isolated population. Nature, 613 (7944):508-518.
17. Burgess S, Thompson SG (2017). Interpreting findings from Mendelian randomization using the MR-Egger method. Eur J Epidemiol, 32 (5):377-389.
18. Bowden J, Davey Smith G, Haycock PC, Burgess S (2016). Consistent Estimation in Mendelian Randomization with Some Invalid Instruments Using a Weighted Median Estimator. Genet Epidemiol, 40 (4):304-14.
19. Previc FH, Krueger WW, Ross RA, Roman MA, Siegel G (2014). The relationship between vestibular function and topographical memory in older adults. Front Integr Neurosci, 8:46.
20. Artusi CA, Geroin C, Nonnekes J, et al (2023). Predictors and Pathophysiology of Axial Postural Abnormalities in Parkinsonism: A Scoping Review. Mov Disord Clin Pract, 10 (11):1585-1596.
21. Almutairi A, Cochrane GD, Christy JB (2019). Vestibular and oculomotor function in children with CP: Descriptive study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 119:15-21.
22. Banas BB, Gorgon EJ (2014). Clinimetric properties of sitting balance measures for children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr, 34 (3):313-34.
23. Calzolari E, Chepisheva M, Smith RM, et al (2021). Vestibular agnosia in traumatic brain injury and its link to imbalance. Brain, 144 (1):128-143.
24. Kumar Goothy SS, Gawarikar S, Choudhary A, et al (2023). Effectiveness of electrical vestibular nerve stimulation as adjunctive therapy to improve the cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol, 34 (1):77-82.
25. Shallice T, Cipolotti L (2018). The Prefrontal Cortex and Neurological Impairments of Active Thought. Annu Rev Psychol, 69:157-180.
26. Friedman NP, Robbins TW (2022). The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47 (1):72-89.
27. Cotterill RM (2001). Cooperation of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, sensory cerebrum and hippocampus: possible implications for cognition, consciousness, intelligence and creativity. Prog Neurobiol, 64 (1):1-33.
28. Schmahmann JD (2019). The cerebellum and cognition. Neurosci Lett, 688:62-75.
29. Cohen HS, Lincoln CM, Pavlik VN, Sangi-Haghpeykar H (2022). Changes in Measures of Vestibular and Balance Function and Hippocampus Volume in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Otol Neurotol, 43 (6):e663-e670.
30. Jacob A, Tward DJ, Resnick S, et al (2020). Vestibular function and cortical and sub-cortical alterations in an aging population. Heliyon, 6 (8):e04728.
31. Ventre-Dominey J (2014). Vestibular function in the temporal and parietal cortex: distinct velocity and inertial processing pathways. Front Integr Neurosci, 8:53.
32. Guo J, Wang J, Liang P, et al (2024). Vestibular dysfunction leads to cognitive impairments: State of knowledge in the field and clinical perspectives (Review). Int J Mol Med, 53 (4).
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 9 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i9.19866 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Childhood intelligence Vestibular function Mendelian randomization Cognitive development Genetic epidemiology | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Zhong A, Liu S, Zhang L. Exploring the Association between Childhood Intelligence and Vestibular Function: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(9):1996-2004.
