Scientists Find That Smarter Brains Develop Differently

Posted on April 4, 2006

A new study using brain scans has determined that differences in the thickening of the cortex and not brain size have more to do with intelligence. The BBC says the study followed the brain of over 300 children.

The US National Institute of Mental Health used scans to study development of the cortex, which is responsible for thinking, in 307 children.
They found smarter youngsters tended to have a thin cortex aged seven, but this thickened rapidly by the age of 12.
Average children had an initially thick cortex which peaked in size aged eight.
In both cases, the cortex thinned after reaching this peak but this was more gradual in children of average IQ as their cortex had reached peak thickness at an earlier age.

The scientists believe the longer thickening period gives the brain more time to develop "high-level thinking circuitry." It's pretty weird that human brains grow in different patterns. Clearly more research in this area is needed to understand exactly why this happens and how much impact it has on learning abilities and cognitive skills.

THE MIND