Intelligence

Question 1

Intelligence

Answer 1

Defined as:
-The hypothetical mental ability that enables people to direct their thinking, adapt to their circumstances and learn from experiences

Question 2

Emotional intelligence

Answer 2

-Ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, and emotions of others

Question 3

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

Answer 3

-The index of intelligence derived from scoring intelligence tests

Common IQ tests:

1) Weschler tests
2) National Adult Reading Test (NART) – assess pre-morbid level of intelligence in English-speaking patients
3) Bayley Scales of Infants and Toddler development

Question 4

Clinical Use of IQ

Answer 4

1) Diagnose and quantify the extent of learning disability
2) Diagnose and characterize specific learning difficulty
3) Assess intellectual impairment following trauma
4) Assess intellectual impairment in association with medical problems or disease progression (e.g. Alzhiemer’s)
5) Assess intellectual capabilities in patients with genetic or developmental disorders
6) Assess developmental milestones (children)

Question 5

Factors affecting intelligence

Answer 5

Can be classified into:

• Biological factors
• Environmental factors

Environmental factors include:

1) Childhood nutrition
2) Health and infection
3) Education
4) Socioeconomic factors
5) Exposure to certain drugs
6) Exposure to environmental toxins
7) Exposure to stress in childhood

Question 6

Biological factor

Answer 6

-Correlation for heritability for intelligence (UK) = 0.4-0.7

Question 7

Childhood nutrition

Answer 7

1) Malnutrition of pregnant mother
2) Prolonged malnutrition in childhood
3) Dietary deficiencies in certain micronutrients in childhood (e.g. iron, iodine)

Question 8

Education

Answer 8

1) Correlation between general intelligence and educational achievement = 0.81
2) More years in education is associated with higher IQ
3) Parental income and education are predictors of childhood intelligence
- Material resources and educational nurturing interactions

Question 9

Health and infection

Answer 9

1) Lower intelligence is associated with an increased risk of some cancers, CVDs, respiratory diseases and higher mortality
2) Fighting off an infection reduces a child’s potential IQ
- energy used to sustain immune response

Question 10

Socioeconomic factors

Answer 10

• Child’s IQ directly proportional to the parent’s socioeconomic status
• Child’s IQ directly proportional to parent’s education
• Socioeconomic status is associated with the brain’s structure and development
• Low socioeconomic status is associated with lower heritability of IQ in children

Question 11

Exposure to stress in childhood

Answer 11

• Deprivation and neglect can negatively impact on intellectual development
• Stress in utero can lead to epigenetic changes influencing coping, anxiety and mental health
• Exposure to domestic violence will negatively impact school grades and IQ
• Unsafe neighbouring can lead to lower performance in school

Question 12

Exposure to environmental toxins

Answer 12

Lead (linked to intellectual deficit):

• Removal of lead in paints in 1960s
• Removal of lead in petrol in 2000s

E.g. mercury, OCB, air pollution

Question 13

Exposure to certain drugs

Answer 13

1) Alcohol
- Foetal alcohol syndrome
- Linked to negative decline in cognitive function over time
2) Tobacco
- associated with lower IQ
3) Substance misuse
- Exposure in utero associated with lower IQ
4) Presribed medications
5) ‘Nootropics’ (smart drugs) – can improve cognition performance