{"id":25296,"date":"2025-09-16T12:33:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T19:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=25296"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:59:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T00:59:31","slug":"biological-aging-twin-study-linking-childhood-to-midlife-cognition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/biological-aging-twin-study-linking-childhood-to-midlife-cognition\/","title":{"rendered":"What your DNA \u2013 and childhood \u2013 reveal about midlife decrease in IQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/09\/dna-biologial-aging-beam-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/09\/dna-biologial-aging-beam-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/09\/dna-biologial-aging-beam-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/09\/dna-biologial-aging-beam-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Two illustrated silhouettes against a DNA background illustration depict brain function\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Changes to DNA combined with socioeconomic factors can predict changes in IQ later in life. (Composite: Letty Avila. Image source: iStock.) \n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=health\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>What your DNA \u2013 and childhood \u2013 reveal about midlife decrease in IQ<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A multi-university twin study led in part by USC Dornsife researchers finds that accelerated biological aging, amplified by early-life disadvantage, is linked to cognitive decline later in life.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">September 16, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>The pace of your DNA aging may help predict whether your brain stays sharp or declines by the time you reach your 50s, and childhood socioeconomic background can make that decline more pronounced, according to researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the University of Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>In a decades-long study of hundreds of twins, the team found that those whose DNA showed signs of accelerated biological aging were more likely to experience IQ decline from childhood to midlife. The drop was steepest among those raised in lower-income households.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aging-us.com\/article\/206284\/text\">study<\/a>, published in the journal <em>Aging<\/em> and funded by the National Institute on Aging, suggests that biology and environment work together to shape long-term brain health.<\/p>\n<h2>Biological aging is more than just birthdays<\/h2>\n<p>We commonly measure age in birthdays, but scientists also track \u201cbiological age\u201d to evaluate how well the body is holding up.<\/p>\n<p>One way to measure biological age is by looking at DNA methylation, the presence of tiny chemical tags on the DNA strand that turn genes on and off. These tags shift over time depending on lifestyle, health and stress, offering a molecular snapshot of whether someone\u2019s body is aging faster or slower than average.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour DNA carries a timestamp of how your body is doing,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/christopher-beam\/\">Christopher Beam<\/a>, associate professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/\">psychology<\/a> and gerontology at USC Dornsife and a co-author of the study. \u201cWe wanted to know if that biological clock could also tell us something about how well cognitive functioning holds up from childhood to midlife.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Study taps rich data from long-standing twin study<\/h2>\n<p>The researchers drew on the Louisville Twin Study, one of the longest-running projects of its kind. Beginning in the 1950s, the study has tracked children\u2019s IQs and recorded details about their family backgrounds. Decades later, many of those same twins \u2014 now in their 40s, 50s and 60s \u2014 returned for follow-up testing.<\/p>\n<p>For this study, the team focused on 287 twins who had completed IQ tests as children and again as adults. Participants also gave blood samples, which scientists analyzed to measure DNA methylation and estimate biological age.<\/p>\n<p>Because the identical twins share the same DNA and grew up in the same households, comparing them allowed the researchers to rule out many genetic and family-level factors and zero in on whether accelerated biological aging was linked to changes in intelligence.<\/p>\n<h2>Faster biological aging means steeper IQ declines<\/h2>\n<p>Across the sample group, people with faster biological aging showed greater declines in IQ from childhood to midlife. And for those raised in lower-income households, the effect was most pronounced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChildhood disadvantage seems to leave a fingerprint,\u201d Beam said. \u201cIt may set people up to be more sensitive to the effects of biological aging on the brain decades later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/deborah-finkel\/\">Deborah Finkel<\/a>, professor (research) of psychology and a research scientist at the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cesr\/\">USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research<\/a>, said the twin design proved crucial. \u201cBecause we were looking at identical twins, we could see that when one twin was biologically older, that same twin tended to have a sharper drop in IQ,\u201d she explained. \u201cThat suggests the relationship is more than just family background or genetics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The team also compared two types of \u201cDNA methylation clocks.\u201d First-generation clocks (Horvath, Hannum, and Horvath Skin &amp; Blood) estimate chronological age, while second-generation clocks (GrimAge and PhenoAge) track health risks and lifespan. Only the second-generation methods predicted lifetime IQ decline.<\/p>\n<h2>Twin study points to early warning signs<\/h2>\n<p>Cognitive decline, even if subtle, can affect quality of life long before old age. While the study doesn\u2019t prove cause and effect, it points to a pathway linking early-life environment, biological aging and brain health.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers also found that smoking partly explained the connection between accelerated biological aging and IQ decline. Yet even after accounting for it, the trend persisted, suggesting that both lifestyle choices and childhood circumstances shape long-term brain health.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Think of it like a warning light on your car\u2019s dashboard.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The findings could eventually help doctors identify who is most at risk for problems later in life. If scientists can track biological aging in young or middle-aged adults, they might be able to intervene earlier \u2014 with lifestyle changes, education or medical care \u2014 to protect long-term cognitive health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThink of it like a warning light on your car\u2019s dashboard,\u201d said Beam. \u201cIf we can spot accelerated aging early enough, there may be ways to head off some of the negative outcomes we see later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the average person, the study underscores two important lessons. First, the conditions we grow up in matter, and poverty in particular can leave lasting marks on health. Second, lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and poor diet can accelerate biological aging. That means there\u2019s at least some room to take control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pace of biological aging isn\u2019t fixed,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/psychology.as.virginia.edu\/people\/sophie-bell\">Sophie Bell<\/a>, a doctoral student researcher at the University of Virginia and the study\u2019s first author. \u201cIt\u2019s dynamic and can be influenced by what we do and what we are exposed to throughout the lifespan. Avoiding smoking, managing stress, and staying physically active all make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Twin study offers a bigger picture of biological aging<\/h2>\n<p>The study is one of the first to connect biological aging with changes in intelligence across such an extended time span. It also highlights the need to consider social factors, not just biology, in understanding brain health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis research shows the story of aging is written by both our DNA and our environment,\u201d said Beam. \u201cThe two are intertwined, and we need to think about both if we want to promote healthy aging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DNA methylation tests aren\u2019t part of routine medical care as of yet. But as the science advances, they could one day become a powerful tool for measuring how well we\u2019re really aging on the inside.<\/p>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to Beam, Finkel and Bell, study authors include Alyssa Kam of USC Dornsife; Ebrahim Zandi of Keck School of Medicine of USC; Emily Andrews and Eric Turkheimer of the University of Virginia; and Jonathan Becker and Deborah Davis of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.<\/p>\n<p>Funding was provided by National Institute on Aging grant R01AG063949.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: Darrin S. Joy contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-fatherhood-matters-more-than-ever-before\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Why fatherhood matters more than ever\u00a0before<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a 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midlife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":25299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,16],"tags":[116,112,60],"class_list":["post-25296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-science-and-technology","tag-genetics-and-genomics","tag-psychology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What your DNA \u2013 and childhood \u2013 reveal about midlife decrease in IQ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Study of twins finds accelerated biological aging, amplified by early-life disadvantage, is linked to steeper IQ declines by midlife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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