IQ can change during adolescence
Adolescence is marked by hormonal, developmental and stress changes. But that's not all. New research from the UK shows how Intelligence Quotient (IQ), a score generated by one of several standardized tests designed to assess in ...


Adolescence is marked by hormonal, developmental and stress changes. But that's not all. New research from the UK shows how intelligence quotient (IQ), a score generated by one of several standardized tests designed to assess intelligence, can either increase or decrease during adolescence. These changes are associated with changes in the structure of the human brain. The results, presented in the journal Nature, could have an impact on the testing and distribution of children during their studies. We have always believed that our intellectual abilities are a stable factor in our lives. IQ results have long been used to predict children's educational pathways as well as their future professional prospects. But scientists at the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at University College London and the Development Neurocognition Laboratory at the University of London in the UK have observed that our IQ is not constant. Under the direction of Professor Cathy Price of the Wellcome Trust's Center for Neuroimaging, researchers studied 33 subjects in 2004. These adolescents were all healthy and between 12 and 16 years old. The subjects were re-tested in 2008, then aged 15 and 20. For both phases of the test, the team used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain structural images of the brains of young people. Their results showed that the IQ scores measured on the second test varied greatly from the scores on the first test four years earlier. Some participants saw their performance improve by at least 20 points on the IQ scale. Others recorded a 20 point decrease in results. The team also observed the scans to determine if there was a correlation between the results and changes in the brain structure of the participants. The results would clarify whether these changes made sense, according to the researchers. "We discovered a significant change in how subjects performed on IQ tests in 2008 compared to results obtained four years earlier," comments lead author Sue Ramsden of the UK foundation. “Some got better results while others didn't. We have found a clear correlation between this change in performance and changes in brain structure, and can say with certainty that these changes are real. ” The verbal IQ of each subject was also measured; including language level, arithmetic, memory and general knowledge. For logicznezagadki.pl nonverbal IQ, the team asked subjects to find missing items in a picture or solve visual puzzles. Researchers have identified a clear correlation between specific brain regions. A higher IQ was associated with a higher gray matter density in a region of the left motor cortex of the brain, activated in articulated speech. A high nonverbal IQ was associated with a greater density of gray matter in the anterior cerebellum, region that influences hand movements. But high verbal IQ is not associated with high nonverbal IQ. While there is no answer yet on whether IQ improves or deteriorates, researchers believe the differences depend on participants' late or early development. Education would also impact variable IQ, which would affect the way children are assessed. “We tend to assess children and determine the course of their teaching very early on, but we have just demonstrated that their intelligence is still developing,” says Professor Prince. “We have to be careful not to exclude children with poor results very early on because their IQ could improve considerably a few years later. VS' is much like the physical level. An athletically good teenager at 14 may see their condition deteriorate at 18 if they stop training regularly, and vice versa. " Commenting on the study results, Dr John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: An athletically good teenager at 14 may see their condition deteriorate at 18 if they stop training regularly, and vice versa. " Commenting on the study results, Dr John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: An athletically good teenager at 14 may see their condition deteriorate at 18 if they stop training regularly, and vice versa. " Commenting on the study results, Dr John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: train regularly, and vice versa. " Commenting on the study results, Dr John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: train regularly, and vice versa. " Commenting on the study results, Dr John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, explains: “This is an interesting study highlighting the 'plastic' of the human brain. It would be good to study whether these structural changes extend beyond IQ to other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: other cognitive functions as we develop and grow. This study invites us to rethink these observations and their applications to better understand what happens during the onset of mental health disorders. ”For more information, see: Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging: http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/ Revue Nature: http://www.nature.com/nature/index.htmlThe puzzle, a puzzle that stimulates the brain
By Journalist Figaro Delphine Chayet Update the 03/11/2019 at 02:19 PM Posted the 03/11/2019 at 02:19 PM
The puzzle, a puzzle that stimulates the brain
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A study signed by Patrick Fissler, researcher in neurology at the University of Ulm, shows that the puzzle "could, in the long term, be beneficial to the brain".

It's a transgenerational hobby, the benefits of which have not yet been studied by science, according to Patrick Fissler, a neurological researcher at the University of Ulm (Germany) and author of a study aimed at fixing this gap. . "Performing puzzles involves multiple cognitive skills and could, in the long run, be beneficial to the brain, " he writes in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

To reach this conclusion, the psychologist tested the practice of the puzzle on healthy adults unfamiliar with this game of patience. The participants, numbering around 100, were subjected to cognitive tests to assess their abilities before and after the study. They also received psychological and brain aging prevention counseling over the phone and face to face. But only half of them aimed to complete puzzles for 5 weeks at the rate of at least one hour per day - that's 3,589 pieces assembled in 49 hours on average.

"The practice of the puzzle significantly improves some of these brain skills"

Patrick Fissler, researcher in neurology at the University of Ulm (Germany)

By comparing the two groups, the researcher found that the puzzle stimulates eight visual and spatial functions, including perception, flexibility, working memory, speed or mental rotation (used by the player to imagine which way he will put his piece down). According to Patrick Fissler, "the practice of the puzzle significantly improves some of these brain skills". The research, funded by a puzzle maker, was conducted independently, he says.

Beware of hasty conclusions, however, warns Dr. Bernard Croisile, neurologist at the CHU de Lyon and specialist in cognitive aging: "This does not necessarily mean that skills will be improved in daily life", he underlines, as well as “Playing golf won't make you better at tennis!”.

Still, the fight against "cognitive sedentary lifestyle" is, according to Dr. Croisile, a public health issue. To make his brain work effectively, he advises to challenge him by imposing new or increasingly difficult activities. Patrick Fissler's study shows that the benefit is directly linked to the complexity of the puzzle produced.