Article Review

Article Review

On March 30, 2006, Shankar Vedantam's article, "Brain Development and Intelligence Linked, Study Says" was published in The Washington Post. A group of scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health conducted numerous brain scans on 309 children who were between the ages of 6 and 19. These children had either high IQs or average IQs. The result? Children with a high intellectual intelligence have brains that develop differently than the brains of children who do not have as high an intellectual level. In fact, it is the cortex that develops differently. The cortex, the outer layer which covers the dominant part of our brain, takes part in complex thinking. As we approach early adulthood, this covering begins to thin as it disposes of unused neurons, cells, and connections. However, this research finds that the cortex thickens until a much later age in children with higher intelligence. At first, highly intelligent children have a thinner cortex than average children. After reaching its maximum thickness, around the age of 11 or 12, the cortex begins to thin rapidly. In children of average intelligence, the cortex is the thickest around the age of 8 years. It then began to gradually thin following this stage.

Scientists have made a major breakthrough by finding this link between the brain and intelligence. However, the famous nature versus nurture debate still exists. Are we born with a gene which gives us this trait of prolonged thickening of the cortex? Or does our environment enhance this attribute in us?

This article introduces a key development in the science world. Never before has there been a known connection between intelligence and the brain. With this newly founded information, maybe scientists and researchers will be able to come up with a way to control the development of the cortex, allowing us all to enjoy a higher intellectual level. Maybe the cortex of children with learning disabilities develops differently also. Could it be possible for this information to lead to a cure for this condition? Only further research can tell us.

This course allowed me to focus on different organisms and their systems. It gave me a chance to understand the function of so many tiny aspects of life; aspects which are often ignored. This article added on to my growing knowledge of small yet vital parts of life. Before reading this article,