From Silicon Valley executives swearing by morning runs to schools adding PE to boost test scores, the idea that exercise makes you smarter has become almost gospel. But what does the neuroscience actually show? The answer is encouraging — but more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Key Takeaway: Regular aerobic …
Premature Birth and IQ: What Research Says About Long-Term Cognitive Outcomes
Approximately 10% of babies worldwide are born prematurely — before 37 weeks of gestation. For parents of preterm infants, particularly those born very early, a pressing question is: how will prematurity affect my child’s cognitive development? Research spanning decades and tens of thousands of preterm-born individuals now provides a clear, …
COVID Brain Fog: What Research Says About Long-Term Cognitive Effects
Three years after the initial pandemic wave, “brain fog” remains one of the most commonly reported long COVID symptoms. Patients describe difficulty concentrating, word-finding problems, slowed thinking, and memory lapses — complaints that are vague enough to be dismissed but consistent enough to demand scientific attention. Research has now moved …
Screen Time and Children’s Intelligence: What the Research Actually Shows
Few topics provoke more parental anxiety than screen time. As smartphones, tablets, and streaming services become embedded in children’s daily lives, a persistent worry has taken hold: is all this screen exposure damaging their cognitive development? The research paints a more nuanced picture than either the alarmists or the dismissives …
Does Cannabis Lower Your IQ? What the Latest Research Shows
As cannabis legalization spreads across the United States and globally, a question with significant public health implications has moved from academic journals to everyday conversation: does cannabis use make you less intelligent? The answer emerging from two decades of research is more nuanced than either side of the legalization debate …