Mutant powers? ... A gene that simultaneously makes you smarter and helps you live longer has been found in about one in five people. Picture: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia
A GENE variant linked to long lifespan is also associated with bigger forebrains and enhanced mental ability, research suggests.
UK scientists found that people who carry the gene have larger volumes in a front part of the brain involved in planning and decision-making.
It follows the previous discovery that middle-aged and older people who have a single copy of the gene variant performed better in a wide range of mental tests.
Real-life X-Men ... Scientists have discovered a link between a gene linked to longer lifespan and enhanced mental ability. Picture: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia
The KLOTHO gene codes for a protein found in the kidney and brain that regulates many different body processes.
About one in five people carry a single copy of the variant, known as KL-VS, that boosts levels of the protein and is associated with longer lifespan and improved heart and kidney function. A small minority — 3 per cent of the population — has two copies, which is linked to a shorter lifespan.
In the new study, scientists scanned the brains of 422 men and women aged 53 and older who were also tested for the KLOTHO gene.
Ageing happily ... About one in five people carry a single copy of the KLOTHO gene code, which boosts levels of protein and in linked to a longer lifespan and improve kidney and heart function. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
They found that participants with a single copy of the gene variant also had a larger brain region known as the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC), which is especially susceptible to shrinkage with age.
The size of the rDLPFC predicted how well the study volunteers performed in tests such as working memory — the ability to hold onto newly acquired information — and processing speed.
The results appear in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.