Scientists used a new framework called DIMPLE-GWAS to analyze brain imaging data from 33,000 people with European ancestry in the UK Biobank. This approach looked for hidden patterns across many brain traits at once. The team compared these results to earlier studies that looked at individual brain traits separately.
The analysis identified 25 distinct brain patterns that researchers could interpret biologically. These hidden patterns showed much higher heritability than the individual traits used to create them. The study also found 104 genetic locations linked to these patterns that had not been reported in previous research of individual traits.
Researchers validated these findings in a separate group of participants from the ABCD study. This confirms the structure of the hidden patterns holds up in different data. The study helps explain how genetic factors relate to brain health, mental health, and behavior. Because this is a genetic association study, it shows links but does not prove that these patterns cause specific diseases or conditions.