ch. 9.9-13

Concussion

A disturbance of consciousness without structural brain damage

Concussion damage

Type of broad-scale brain trauma

Post-concussion syndrome

Symptoms that persist after a concussion

Old belief

Concussions were once believed to cause no long-term damage

Symptom duration

Can last weeks, months, or years

Persistent symptoms

10 to 20 percent have symptoms longer than one month

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Brain degeneration from repeated head trauma

CTE alternative name

Punch-drunk syndrome

CTE cause

Repeated sub-concussive hits accumulate damage

CTE effects

Dementia and cerebral scarring

CTE in youth

Detected in 18-year-old football players

High school findings

29 percent of deceased players showed signs of CTE

CTE symptoms

Cognitive, behavioral, mood, and motor impairments

Cognitive rest

Reducing mentally demanding activities after concussion

Cognitive rest examples

Limiting schoolwork and video games

Recovery support

Adequate sleep and daytime rest

Return to activity

Gradual return once symptom-free

Typical recovery time

80 to 90 percent resolve within 7 to 10 days in adults

Future risk

Increased susceptibility to additional concussions

Repeat concussion risks

Linked to depression and dementia

Genetic contribution

IQ similarity increases with genetic relatedness

Twin studies

Identical twins show high IQ similarity

Adoption studies

Help separate genetic and environmental influences

Gene knockout model

Animal model where a gene is disabled

Transgenic mouse model

Animal model with inserted or modified genes

Birth order effect

First-born children may benefit from teaching younger siblings

Socioeconomic status (SES)

Income and social position affecting opportunities

SES and education

Access to high-quality schools varies by SES

Low-income stressors

Household stress can interfere with learning

Summer IQ decline

IQ may decrease during summer without enrichment

Adoption and SES

Adoption studies show environmental influence on IQ

SES and language

Language development depends on environmental exposure

Language and IQ

Language skills affect intelligence test performance

Health and attendance

Healthy students attend school more often

Nutrition and IQ

Diet affects cognitive performance even in affluent homes

Flynn effect

Steady rise in intelligence test scores over time

Flynn explanations

Familiarity with testing and improved environments

Negative Flynn effect

IQ scores plateau or decline in some countries

Nature and nurture

Intelligence shaped by both genetics and environment

Racial superiority critique

Environmental factors often ignored in such arguments

Minority disadvantage

Environmental barriers limit reaching genetic potential

Test validity

Whether intelligence tests measure intended abilities

Working memory

Ability to hold and manipulate information

Processing speed

Speed of performing cognitive tasks

Attention

Ability to focus on relevant information

Motivation

Willingness to exert effort on tasks