As I understand it, humans are pretty robust to any one concussion, but that multiple concussions, even multiple low-level head impacts, can have a significant cumulative effect. Ironically given my example later, MuhammaEggAli is a very good demonstration of this.
So I think people's perception in relation to concussion in an absolute sense is at least partly influenced by examples of multiple concussion such as Muhammed Ali.
"but they did have four-tenths of a standard deviation higher hyperactivity scores." This is interesting.
The lab I am currently a part of is conducting a twin study of 80 MZ twin pairs discordant for mTBI and 40 twin pairs where neither has a history of TBI.
I was wondering why our PI had decided not to make cognition the primary focus of the study (our protocol includes the NIH toolbox which includes some G-loaded tasks but is not as comprehensive as something like the WASI) and is mostly focused on the development of substance use disorder. Assuming hyperactivity is correlated with impulsive decision making this would make sense.
I need to reread the grant proposal and speak with him more about this, in the meantime I will definitely share this article with him! Thanks for the insightful content as always!
I think it’s highly intuitive - one should have a very strong prior - that (good) education increases intelligence. I mean there’s not a single human capacity, including heavily genetic ones like running fast, jumping high, and lifting heavy weights, that isn’t improved by practice. Why would intelligence be an exception? The false intuition people have that education doesn’t increase IQ is because of the weird notion of IQ as an abstract aptitude that somehow exists completely separately from the performance of it. No human capacity is like this, but makers of tests marketed as “aptitude tests” have a strong incentive to present things that way.
"I mean there’s not a single human capacity, including heavily genetic ones like running fast, jumping high, and lifting heavy weights, that isn’t improved by practice. Why would intelligence be an exception?"
"I understand your viewpoint. However, if we view IQ as a measure of innate cognitive ability, it does seem to align—it's a gauge of our intelligence capacity. Yet, a quality education equips us with the tools to problem-solve, think logically, and acquire knowledge, thereby enhancing our cognitive abilities."
It is true that hard work and practice improve the performance of those born with the genetic ability to run fast, jump high, or lift heavy weights. However, the improvement is minimal compared with the innate genetic advantage. In other words, at the margin.
For IQ? Yeah, the improvement is minimal, but I would say jumping high, lifting weights, and running fast are all only very hereditary at the elite ends. You can lift weights for a year or two with a protein rich diet and good routines, and become stronger than 90% of the population even if you’re in the lower half of genetic potential
"You can lift weights for a year or two with a protein rich diet and good routines, and become stronger than 90% of the population even if you’re in the lower half of genetic potential"
Yes, but that does not conflict with my statement.
The most interesting part was certainly the data that shows the nonlinearity of education x IQ.
It makes it a bit clear that the early increase in people with a few years of higher education, that I so often saw as people pointing that "academics have a higher IQ", in fact just pointed to a non-causal correlation.
I adjusted my expectations. Even as a medstudent, I did not know that the effect of a concussion on IQ could be so negligible. Although, as some pointed, the case might be a tad different when we take into account multiple concussions or second-impact syndrome.
Would be very interested in studies on the sort of very minor but numerous concussions an athlete or martial artist takes, and what that does to IQ. It would be extremely difficult to arrange, though. For professionals, sure. But for amateurs, who get hit way less hard and less often, it would be hard.
You’re the most thought provoking writer ever.
As I understand it, humans are pretty robust to any one concussion, but that multiple concussions, even multiple low-level head impacts, can have a significant cumulative effect. Ironically given my example later, MuhammaEggAli is a very good demonstration of this.
So I think people's perception in relation to concussion in an absolute sense is at least partly influenced by examples of multiple concussion such as Muhammed Ali.
"but they did have four-tenths of a standard deviation higher hyperactivity scores." This is interesting.
The lab I am currently a part of is conducting a twin study of 80 MZ twin pairs discordant for mTBI and 40 twin pairs where neither has a history of TBI.
I was wondering why our PI had decided not to make cognition the primary focus of the study (our protocol includes the NIH toolbox which includes some G-loaded tasks but is not as comprehensive as something like the WASI) and is mostly focused on the development of substance use disorder. Assuming hyperactivity is correlated with impulsive decision making this would make sense.
I need to reread the grant proposal and speak with him more about this, in the meantime I will definitely share this article with him! Thanks for the insightful content as always!
I think it’s highly intuitive - one should have a very strong prior - that (good) education increases intelligence. I mean there’s not a single human capacity, including heavily genetic ones like running fast, jumping high, and lifting heavy weights, that isn’t improved by practice. Why would intelligence be an exception? The false intuition people have that education doesn’t increase IQ is because of the weird notion of IQ as an abstract aptitude that somehow exists completely separately from the performance of it. No human capacity is like this, but makers of tests marketed as “aptitude tests” have a strong incentive to present things that way.
"I mean there’s not a single human capacity, including heavily genetic ones like running fast, jumping high, and lifting heavy weights, that isn’t improved by practice. Why would intelligence be an exception?"
"I understand your viewpoint. However, if we view IQ as a measure of innate cognitive ability, it does seem to align—it's a gauge of our intelligence capacity. Yet, a quality education equips us with the tools to problem-solve, think logically, and acquire knowledge, thereby enhancing our cognitive abilities."
It is true that hard work and practice improve the performance of those born with the genetic ability to run fast, jump high, or lift heavy weights. However, the improvement is minimal compared with the innate genetic advantage. In other words, at the margin.
For IQ? Yeah, the improvement is minimal, but I would say jumping high, lifting weights, and running fast are all only very hereditary at the elite ends. You can lift weights for a year or two with a protein rich diet and good routines, and become stronger than 90% of the population even if you’re in the lower half of genetic potential
"You can lift weights for a year or two with a protein rich diet and good routines, and become stronger than 90% of the population even if you’re in the lower half of genetic potential"
Yes, but that does not conflict with my statement.
The most interesting part was certainly the data that shows the nonlinearity of education x IQ.
It makes it a bit clear that the early increase in people with a few years of higher education, that I so often saw as people pointing that "academics have a higher IQ", in fact just pointed to a non-causal correlation.
I adjusted my expectations. Even as a medstudent, I did not know that the effect of a concussion on IQ could be so negligible. Although, as some pointed, the case might be a tad different when we take into account multiple concussions or second-impact syndrome.
Would be very interested in studies on the sort of very minor but numerous concussions an athlete or martial artist takes, and what that does to IQ. It would be extremely difficult to arrange, though. For professionals, sure. But for amateurs, who get hit way less hard and less often, it would be hard.
Good to know, I recently started sparring in my local boxing gym, so this article does somewhat assuage fears of mBTI contributed cognitive decline