Contact Details

Neuroimaging Research Group
University Medical Center Utrecht
Heidelberglaan 100
3584 CX Utrecht
the Netherlands

Room: A.00.1.24

Tel.: +31 (0)88 7553386 / +31 (0)205988820
Fax.: +31 (0)88 755xxxx
E-mail: ilc.van.soelen@psy.vu.nl
www.psy.vu.nl/fpp.php/departments/biologicalpsychology/people/
www.tweelingenregister.org

Curriculum Vitae

2004-2006:      MSc Neuroscience, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2000-2004:      Higher Laboratory Education: specialization in  Experimental Animal             Research, Hogeschool Utrecht, The Netherlands
1995-2000:      High School, Oosterlicht College (HAVO), Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Current Research Projects

Quantative genetic modelling of variation in cognitive brain maturation: A longitudinal study in pre-adolescent twins.

The aim of this study is to investigate the contribution of genetic and/or environmental factors to cognitive brain maturation in healthy (pre) adolescents. Early puberty is a critical period in the development of brain morphology as well as cognition: gray matter volume starts to decrease whereas white matter volumes continue to increase. Beside brain morphology, cognitive maturation takes place in the same period. Cognitive abilities, such as abstract thinking, language processing and spatial memory develop rapidly. In addition, a re-emergence of gonadal hormone secretion occurs in puberty, which is likely to be related to the changes in brain volumes and cognition, however, direct evidence is lacking.
Genetic factors account for most of the individual differences in brain volume and cognition in adults. This applies for the whole brain (90%) as well as gray (82%), and white (88%) matter volume. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether this is likewise in children. There are also strong genetic influences of 70% explained variance on IQ. Moreover, genetic influence on intelligence appears to increase with age in children and has strong genetic influences in adulthood. Genetic factors have a moderate influence on memory, perceptual speed, and aspects of personality.
The objective of this study is to investigate: (1) which percentage of individual variation in brain development, cognitive development, and hormonal changes during adolescence is genetically or environmentally determined? (2) do the same or different genes influence brain development, cognitive development, and hormonal changes during adolescence?
Using the ‘extended twin design’ a total number of 300 monozygotic and dizygotic twins and their siblings will be included. To map longitudinal changes in brain development during the early puberty, data-acquisition will be held on the age of nine and eleven. Measurements will consist of MR images of the brain, several cognitive tasks and determination of hormone levels. The interdisciplinary design is possible through collaboration of Biological Psychology and Endocrinology (VU) and Psychiatry UMCU.
 

List of Publications

2009

• van Soelen, I.L.C., van den Berg, S.M., Dekker, P.H., van Leeuwen M., Peper, J.S., Hulshoff Pol, H.E., Boomsma, D.I. (2009) Individual differences in dynamic measures of verbal learning abilities in young twin pairs and their older siblings. Learning and Individual Differences, (In Press)

2008

• van ‘t Ent, D., van Soelen, I.L.C., Stam C.J., de Geus E.J., Boomsma, D.I. (2008) Strong resemblance in the amplitude of oscillatory brain activity in monozygotic twins is not caused by “trivial”similarities in the composition of the skull. Human Brain Mapping, Sep 25 (Epub ahead of print)
• van Soelen, I.L.C., van den Berg, S.M., van Leeuwen M., Boomsma, D.I. Genetic and environmental influences on verbal learning abilities in children. (2007) Abstract in Behavior Genetics, 36