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IQ

·January 7, 2025·6 min read

Lead Pollution Linked to IQ Decline in Roman-Era Europe

A study analyzing Arctic ice cores reveals that lead pollution during the Roman Empire's height contributed to an estimated 2-3 point IQ decline across Europe. The pollution stemmed from silver mining and smelting, which released vast amounts of lead into the atmosphere.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 16, 2024·4 min read

Study Challenges Myths About Cannabis, Brain Health, and IQ

A study spanning 44 years and involving over 5,000 men challenges long-held beliefs about cannabis and cognition. Researchers found that cannabis users experienced slightly less cognitive decline from early adulthood to late midlife compared to nonusers.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 11, 2024·5 min read

Brain-Wide Connections Predict Human Intelligence

A recent study explores how connections across the entire brain predict human intelligence, moving beyond traditional focus on specific brain areas like the prefrontal cortex. Using fMRI data from over 800 individuals, researchers analyzed communication between brain regions to predict fluid, crystallized, and general intelligence scores.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

Higher IQ in High School Linked to Increased Alcohol Use in Adulthood

A new study shows that individuals with higher IQs in high school are more likely to consume alcohol moderately or heavily later in life, though less likely to binge drink. This connection may be due to social factors, such as income level and career stress, that often accompany higher IQs. Researchers used data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, revealing that each IQ point increase correlated with a 1.6% rise in moderate or heavy drinking.

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Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·September 6, 2024·3 min read

Neurodevelopmental Disruptions Behind Schizophrenia Cognitive Deficits

A recent review of genetic and population studies reveals that premorbid cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, such as lower IQ, are largely due to neurodevelopmental disruptions rather than inherited genetic variants that directly increase schizophrenia risk. The findings suggest that non-familial factors, including rare genetic mutations and environmental influences, play a significant role in both cognitive impairments and schizophrenia risk.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 11, 2024·3 min read

Mom’s Stress Hormone Shapes Child’s IQ

Elevated cortisol levels during the third trimester of pregnancy are linked to lower IQ scores in 7-year-old boys, but not in girls. In contrast, higher urine cortisone levels during pregnancy were associated with improved IQ scores in girls.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 20, 2023·6 min read

Prenatal Phthalate Exposure Linked to Brain Size and Child IQ Reduction

A new study linked higher prenatal exposure to certain phthalates with reduced gray matter in children's brains by age 10. This exposure was also correlated with decreased IQ levels in the offspring at age 14.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 31, 2023·5 min read

Breast Milk Alternative Boosts IQ and Executive Function in Kids

Researchers discovered a complex milk component that, when added to infant formula, can offer long-term cognitive benefits to children. The study found that formula supplemented with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and lactoferrin for a year raised children's IQ by 5 points at age 5 ½.

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Featured Neuroscience

·June 1, 2023·6 min read

Intelligence and Decision-Making: Do Smarter People Really Think Faster?

Researchers made a startling discovery about intelligence and decision-making speed. Their findings indicate that those with higher IQs are quicker when solving simple tasks, but take more time to resolve complex problems compared to those with lower IQs.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 20, 2023·4 min read

Americans’ IQ Scores Are Lower in Some Areas, Higher in One

While scores for verbal reasoning and matrix reasoning have decreased, scores for spatial reasoning have improved, researchers report.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 27, 2022·4 min read

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Could Boost IQ for Preterm Babies

Providing DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, to children born prematurely boosted their IQ by 3.5 points compared to preterm infants who did not receive DHA supplementation.