Register data suggest lower intelligence in men born the year after flu pandemic

Abstract

Early prenatal exposure to the Hong Kong flu may have interfered with fetal cerebral development and caused reduced intelligence in adulthood.

A Lifespan Approach to Neuroinflammatory and Cognitive Disorders: A Critical Role for Glia

“…The bulk of evidence from the animal literature suggests that regions important for cognition (i.e., HP and cortex) may be especially vulnerable to early-life disruption by immune activation (Table 1). The human literature supports this as well, as cognitive impairment, including learning, memory, and attention disorders, is one of the most consistent consequences of preterm birth, perinatal infection, or other complications such as trauma (Isaacs et al, 2000; Msall, 2004; Aylward, 2005; Rose et al, 2005a; Rose et al, 2005b; Eriksen et al, 2009). …”

Preclinical disease activity in multiple sclerosis: A prospective study of cognitive performance prior to first symptom

“…Cognitive performance was assessed by a comprehensive validated timed test (53 minutes, 120 questions) including a mathematical part (25 minutes, testing logical reasoning, arithmetic, algebraic ability), a word synonym test (8 minutes, testing verbal ability, abstract reasoning, memory), and a figure test (20 minutes, testing logical and abstract reasoning) . The math and word synonym subtests are not identical, but quite similar to the arithmetic and vocabulary parts in the commonly used intelligence quotient (IQ) test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and the figure subtest resembles Raven's Progressive Matrices, a nonverbal intelligence test . The overall cognitive performance was rated on a 9‐point standard scale, the Stanine (Standard Nine) scale, with normally distributed single‐digit scores ranging from 1 to 9 for lowest to highest performance (mean = 5, standard deviation [SD] = 2).…”

Environmental factors, brain development, and intelligence in adulthood

“…5 The authors did not aim to identify major mental deficiencies in this study. Instead, they looked for a moderate reduction of cognitive abilities in apparently normal young men who were undergoing medical and cognitive evaluation for compulsory military service.…”

“…4 The identification of other muscle membrane proteins, including the sarcoglycans, soon followed, enhancing our understanding of the biochemical structure of the sarcolemma (Fig 1). [5][6][7][8] Identification of mutations in genes coding for individual proteins that are localized to the sarcolemma or are localized elsewhere in the muscle cell as direct causes of the clinical phenotype of muscular dystrophy led to subdivisions of the LGMD diseases based on a genetic classification. The discovery that muscular dystrophies are single-gene defects in muscle membrane proteins generated the hopeful anticipation among researchers, patients, and their families that a gene replacement approach using gene therapy could be rapidly developed as an effective treatment for muscular dystrophy.…”