Parents are always concerned when their kids get concussions, not only because of the obvious health concerns, but also because they are often afraid that it can affect their intelligence in some way.
Recent research led by the University of Calgary provides reassuring news to all parents concerned about their kids' health and cognitive abilities.
Let's find out more!
A study about the connection between intelligence and concussions
The study carefully analyzed data from children's hospitals in Canada and the US, comparing 560 kids with concussions to 300 with various orthopedic injuries.
The research found that these concussions do not have any clinically meaningful effect on kids' IQ or intelligence.
The kids, aged eight to sixteen, completed IQ tests three months after injury in Canadian hospitals and three to eighteen days after injury in U.S. hospitals.
The study incorporated a wide range of important characteristics, including socioeconomic status, gender, severity of injuries, concussion history, and also loss of consciousness during the injury.
Regardless of these factors, the study concluded that concussion was not associated with lower IQ levels.
Why is it so important?
This experiment can help alleviate lots of fears and concerns among parents and doctors, providing them with the knowledge that concussions do not lead to alterations in a child's IQ or intelligence, whether assessed in the immediate aftermath or after a recovery period.
