Low IQ and dementia risk
A study by Scottish researchers found a link between a person’s childhood IQ and the risk for developing vascular dementia.
Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia behind Alzheimer’s disease. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, however, did not appear to be linked to childhood IQ scores.
They compared the rate of vascular dementia among people with lower and higher IQ scores on tests taken when they were children. Results from impaired blood flow to the brain were 40 percent more likely to have scored lower on the IQ tests when they were kids.
Why might IQ have a relationship to vascular dementia?
John Starr, of the University of Edinburgh who led the study hypothesized:
“It may be that IQ is a measure of system integrity,” Starr said in a telephone interview. “The IQ may reflect something about the brain and the brain’s control over vascular disease later on.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check my childhood testing scores.
Just in case.
Tags: John Starr, low IQ dementia risk, vascualr dementiaRelated Stories
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1 opinion for Low IQ and dementia risk
midlife mommy
Jul 3, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Hmm. Interesting. After what seems like hundreds of college credit hours in psychology, what came through the strongest to me as a student (because it was repeated a million times) is that IQ is what IQ tests measure. In other words, no one really knows what “IQ” really is. But, the study is intriguing.
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