12 | id == 12
12 | category_id == 4
12 | category_order == 1
12 | category_name == Brain
12 | category_color == #C47AC0
12 | slug == Boost-Cognition-with-the-ULK4-gene
12 | title == Increase Intelligence, Myelin & Neurogenesis (ULK4)
12 | meta_description == Personalized genetics blog article
12 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>In this post we&rsquo;ll be looking at the <em>ULK4</em> gene, which plays a major role in neurogenesis, neuronal migration, and myelination. These are some of the main mechanisms that allow your brain to grow new neurons and make sure they&rsquo;re working as efficiently as possible. Given how important these functions are for your brain, it&rsquo;s not surprising that this gene can be a significant factor when it comes to optimizing your cognitive ability!</strong></p>
12 | overall_score_text == Cognitive Function score (based on ULK4 gene)
12 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Become-More-Intelligent-by-Increasing-Myelin--Neurogenesis-_JPG.jpg
12 | author_id == 4
12 | author_name == Matt Carland
12 | author_title == PhD
12 | author_order == 10
12 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
12 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
12 | reviewer_id == 2
12 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
12 | reviewer_title == BS
12 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
12 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
12 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
12 | publish_date == 2019
12 | publish_date == 8
12 | publish_date == 17
12 | avg_rating == 5.0
12 | tags_id == 13
12 | tags_name == Cognition
12 | tags_id == 28
12 | tags_name == Intelligence
12 | tags_id == 27
12 | tags_name == Myelination
12 | tags_id == 26
12 | tags_name == Neurogenesis
12 | tags_id == 29
12 | tags_name == ULK4 Gene
12 | permissions_favorite == False
12 | permissions_rate == False
12 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 99.8966%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Note:</strong> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the <strong>45 unique intelligence-related genes</strong> that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mind-protocol-nm/"><strong><em>Cognitive Function DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your cognitive ability, and the actionable steps that you can take to boost your cognition even further, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many different biological functions play a role in determining how well your brain works &ndash; and therefore also affect </span><strong>your overall level of cognitive ability</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One such process is </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ways-increase-neurogenesis/"><strong>neurogenesis</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or the growth and development of new neurons throughout the brain. However, as an adult, new neurons only grow in specific parts of our brains, such as the hippocampus. Therefore, it&rsquo;s not enough just to grow new neurons themselves: they also have to be able to travel through the brain to get to where they are needed! This process is known as &ldquo;</span><strong><em>neuronal migration</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28251650"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another key factor is </span><strong>myelination</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Although neurons can transmit electrical signals on their own, most of the neurons in your nervous system are coated by an extra layer of fatty material called </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/myelin/"><strong><em>myelin</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which they get from another type of brain cell called </span><strong><em>oligodendrocytes</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This coating helps them </span><strong>transmit signals faster and more efficiently</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ndash; and the overall amount of myelin a person has in their brain is one of the key biological factors that affect how intelligent they are [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19228974"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span><strong>!</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neurogenesis and myelination are two of the most important biological mechanisms that factor into your overall level of cognitive ability.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>ULK4</em></strong><strong> Helps Stimulate Neurogenesis and Myelination</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The </strong><a href="../../gene/ulk4/"><strong><em>ULK4</em></strong><strong> gene</strong></a><strong> is important because it plays a key role in all three of these processes</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is expressed throughout the cerebral cortex, where it stimulates the growth and development of neurons. Once these new neurons are created, this gene also helps them move through the brain. Finally, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> also helps create the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">oligodendrocyte</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cells that provide neurons with their myelin coating, without which they would work much more slowly and less efficiently [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284070"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27300315"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29034508"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is critical for creating new neurons, as well as making sure that they have enough </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">myelin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> coating to work efficiently.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>ULK4</em> and Overall Intelligence</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The importance of neurogenesis and myelination for overall cognitive ability is probably why </span><strong><em>ULK4</em></strong><strong> has been found to influence your overall level of intelligence</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a large-scale study with over 3,500 participants identified SNPs in this gene as having a significant influence on </span><strong><em>fluid intelligence</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one of the two main cognitive factors that determines your </span><strong>overall IQ</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21826061"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rsquo;s role in cognitive ability is also backed up by other evidence. For example, although rare, people born with genetic deletions of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> often have </span><strong>intellectual disabilities</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as well as </span><strong>developmental difficulties</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in acquiring language skills [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30086552"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain rare variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have also been linked to </span><strong>schizophrenia</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>bipolar disorder</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ndash; two conditions that are known to involve </span><strong>significant cognitive deficits</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284070"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27670918"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several animal and cell studies have found that interfering with </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene levels results in </span><strong>reduced neurogenesis</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><strong>impaired neuronal migration</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and an </span><strong>overall lack of myelin</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> throughout the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284070"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27670918"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27300315"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29034508"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mice whose </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> genes are entirely deleted (&ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">knocked out</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) also show </span><strong>abnormal brain development</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (such as defective nerve fibers in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">corpus callosum</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the bundle of nerves that connect the two hemispheres of the brain) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284070"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With all these different effects on brain structure and function, it&rsquo;s not so surprising that the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene can have a significant impact on overall cognitive ability!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variations in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been found to influence many important aspects of brain function and structure.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>ULK4</em></strong><strong> Genes</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Below you can see your genotype for </span><a href="../../snp/rs7627367/"><strong>rs7627367</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one of the major </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ULK4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNPs that has been linked to intelligence in humans:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*5159845465954642*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*3170597343581633*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this case, the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele has been linked to </span><strong>lower levels of </strong><strong><em>ULK4</em></strong><strong> activity</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This, in turn, is associated with </span><strong>relatively lower fluid intelligence</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> compared to people who carry the beneficial &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21826061"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, if you carry the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele, don&rsquo;t feel too bad! The majority of people in the general population carry it &ndash; so if this is you, you&rsquo;re certainly not alone!</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What You Can Do About These Genes</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>So what should you do if you have the &ldquo;bad&rdquo; allele?</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Recall that this gene mostly affects brain function due to its influence on </span><strong>neurogenesis</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>myelination</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Therefore, you can take steps to counteract the potential negative impact of this gene by using lifestyle hacks and supplements that boost these two biological mechanisms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">*5732504387033144*</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two possible ways to </span><strong>increase neurogenesis</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> include:</span></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/curcumin-cures-top-15-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-with-references/"><strong>Bioavailable curcumin</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: While we dont have clinical data on this yet, animal studies have shown that this powerful nutritional supplement boosts neurogenesis in several different ways, such as increasing the level of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and CREB, two key compounds the brain produces to promote neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16364299"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17617388"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Just make sure to take a form that is </span><strong><em>bioavailable</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as not all forms of curcumin can be absorbed efficiently by your body!<br /><br /></span></li> <li><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/infrared-radiation-benefits/"><strong>Infrared light</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/my-review-of-lllt/"><strong>Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Also known as &ldquo;</span><strong><em>photobiomodulation</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; therapies, these techniques involve shining specially-designed lights (usually LEDs) on the skin. Certain wavelengths of light then pass through your skin to stimulate various biological processes. When used on the head, these light therapy techniques have been found to stimulate neurogenesis (by increasing the number of </span><strong><em>neural stem cells</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (NSCs) your brain produces) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29131369"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29564977"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24994540"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. These techniques have also been linked to cognitive enhancements in attention, learning, memory, cognitive flexibility, and processing speed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27752476"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28580093"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29310710"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27220529"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28039085"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23200785"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Though it must be said that some studies have not found them to be effective.&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p>Two supplements for potentially&nbsp;<strong>enhancing myelination</strong> in your brain include:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-benefits-of-lithium/"><strong>Lithium Orotate</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Lithium boosts myelin production by </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/gsk3b-inhibition-potent-pathway-improve-brain-function-mood/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">inhibiting </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">GSK-3-beta</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (GSK3B) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22355115"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20410116"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21319221"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. It also boosts BDNF production, which also makes it helpful for enhancing neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity as well! These effects are probably a large part of the reason that lithium supplementation has been associated with significant cognitive enhancements&nbsp; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21743136"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12974988"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-lions-mane/"><strong>Lion&rsquo;s Mane mushroom</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Supplements made from the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hericium erinaceus</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> mushroom, more commonly known as &ldquo;Lion&rsquo;s Mane&rdquo;, show great promise in cell culture studes as a way to further increase the production of myelin throughout the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12675022"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">Lifestyle hacks and supplements that stimulate neurogenesis and myelination are the best ways to address <em style="text-align: justify;">ULK4</em><span style="text-align: justify;"> risk factors.</span></span></p>
12 | content_snp_table_5159845465954642_key == 5159845465954642
12 | content_snp_table_5159845465954642_blur == True
12 | content_snp_table_5159845465954642_hidden == False
12 | content_learn_more_3170597343581633_key == 3170597343581633
12 | content_learn_more_3170597343581633_blur == True
12 | content_learn_more_3170597343581633_hidden == False
12 | content_learn_more_3170597343581633_text == Based on your data for this SNP, your ULK4 gene activity is slightly higher than average, which gives you a slight edge in cognitive ability (due to increased myelination and neurogenesis).
12 | content_recommendation_5732504387033144_key == 5732504387033144
12 | content_recommendation_5732504387033144_blur == True
12 | content_recommendation_5732504387033144_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs7627367
rsStatus = rs7627367,ULK4,chr3,41569737,T,C,G,,30,0,Normal
