Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Cognitive Science

New evidence confirms link between IQ and brain cortex

by McGill University
March 5, 2014
in Cognitive Science
Photo credit: NIMH

Photo credit: NIMH

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Rate of change in the thickness of the brain’s cortex is an important factor associated with a person’s change in IQ, according to a collaborative study by scientists in five countries including researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. The study has potentially wide-ranging implications for the pedagogical world and for judicial cases in which the defendant’s IQ score could play a role in determining the severity of the sentence.

The cortex is the thin, outermost layer of nerve cell tissue of the brain, typically measuring a few millimeters in thickness. The cortex contains nerve cell bodies and is critical for cognitive functions such as perception, language, memory and consciousness.

“Often, small differences in IQ scores are observed when people’s IQs are tested twice over a period of time. However, in some instances, dramatic changes in IQ scores are observed,” said Dr. Sherif Karama, assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University, psychiatrist at Douglas Mental Health University Institute and affiliate at The Neuro where he conducted the study published in the scientific journal, Neuro Image. “These dramatic changes are generally attributed to measurement errors rather than assumed to reflect real changes in general cognitive ability.”

The cortex begins to thin after the age of five or six as part of the normal aging process.  This study by Professor Karama and his colleagues involved 188 children and adolescents over a period of two years. MRIs of the study participants were taken at six sites across the US. This study is the first to show the association between cortical thickness and development in full scale IQ. They found that within a relatively short period of 2 years:

  • people with a significant increase in IQ did not have the expected cortical thinning,
  • people whose IQ stayed the same had the normal expected cortical thinning,
  • people with a significant decrease in IQ had exaggerated cortical thinning.

“Finding that IQ is not fixed and correlates to changes in brain anatomy has important implications as it shows that some of the changes in IQ are real and not merely due to measurement error. This finding should make people wary of sticking to an early IQ assessment given the role it plays in school entrance criteria, detection of the gifted, as well as in eligibility for social security disability income or even the death penalty. In some US states, people with an IQ below 70 are not eligible for the death penalty.”

The reasons behind the changes in IQ are not clear at this point. Some of these may be due to programmed developmental trajectories or other factors such as nutrition and education, noted Professor Karama.

The study was undertaken jointly by scientists at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Fundacion CIEN/Fundacion Reina Sofia and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, the University of Edinburgh, UK, the Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard University, USA, at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, as well as at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Canada. The project was conducted by the Brain Development Cooperative Group and supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institutes of Health, the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and the Alianza 4 Universidades.

This paper was published in the January 2014 issue of NeuroImage:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811913009749

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

One in four people may experience estrangement from a sibling in adulthood, study finds

Buzzing the brain with electricity can boost the willingness to engage in mental effort

Study links deviations in circadian rhythm patterns to psychiatric problems in adolescents

Study finds that poor sleep quality increases aggression, possibly by affecting emotional cognition

Virtual reality can inoculate people against the allure of alternative romantic partners, study finds

A history of intermittent fasting is associated with increased disordered eating behaviors

RECENT

Many self-identified heterosexuals report feeling attracted toward individuals of the same sex, study finds

Two “dark” personality traits help explain the link between childhood adversity and suicide risk

People are more inclined to get COVID-19 booster after reading tweets that target regret, study finds

Study links deviations in circadian rhythm patterns to psychiatric problems in adolescents

False confidence: Watching a simple video increases people’s belief in their own ability to land a plane

A history of intermittent fasting is associated with increased disordered eating behaviors

Psychologists developed a new measure of sexual anxiety sensitivity. It predicts some important sex-related outcomes.

Virtual reality can inoculate people against the allure of alternative romantic partners, study finds

Currently Playing

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Disclosing victim status reduces online dating matches regardless of race or sex

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Dark Triad
Longitudinal study examines the effects of adversity on wise reasoning

New study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying Solomon’s paradox

Social Psychology
Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Cognitive Science
New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

Relationships and Sexual Health
A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

Depression
Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Mental Health
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • About PsyPost
    • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.