[Article Review] Unraveling the Impact of Digital Media on Children's Intelligence: A Comprehensive Study

Reference

Sauce, B., Liebherr, M., Judd, N., & Klingberg, T. (2022). The impact of digital media on children’s intelligence while controlling for genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic background. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 7720. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11341-2

Review

In their article, Sauce, Liebherr, Judd, and Klingberg (2022) explore the cognitive effects of digital media on children, addressing the ongoing debate surrounding this topic. The authors advocate for the inclusion of genetic data in such studies to clarify causal claims and account for typically unaddressed genetic predispositions. The study analyzed 9,855 children in the United States, part of the ABCD dataset, with intelligence measurements taken at ages 9-10 and after two years.

The authors discovered that time spent watching (r = -0.12) and socializing (r = -0.10) was negatively correlated with intelligence at baseline, while gaming showed no correlation. However, after two years, gaming had a positive impact on intelligence (standardized β = +0.17), which aligns with experimental studies on video gaming's cognitive benefits. Socializing, on the other hand, had no effect.

Interestingly, watching videos also benefited intelligence (standardized β = +0.12), which contradicts prior research on the impact of watching TV. A post hoc analysis, though, revealed that this was not significant when controlling for parental education instead of SES. Overall, the results support research on cognitive abilities' malleability from environmental factors, such as cognitive training and the Flynn effect.

The study by Sauce et al. (2022) provides valuable insights into the cognitive impact of digital media on children while addressing potential confounding factors. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between screen time and children's intelligence, offering implications for future research and educational policy.

[Article Review] Early SSRI Treatment in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Promising Path for Cognition and Brain Development?

Reference

Mancini, V., Maeder, J., Bortolin, K., Schneider, M., Schaer, M., & Eliez, S. (2021). Long-term effects of early treatment with SSRIs on cognition and brain development in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Translational Psychiatry, 11, 336. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01480-3

Review

The present study by Mancini et al. (2021) investigates the long-term effects of early treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on cognition and brain development in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). This genetic disorder has the highest risk for schizophrenia, making it an ideal population for studying the development of individuals at risk for psychosis. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study with 98 participants, aged 10 to 32, diagnosed with 22q11DS, and followed up 2–4 times.

The participants were divided into three groups: those without psychiatric disorders and no psychotropic medications (n = 30), those with psychotic symptoms but not treated with SSRIs (n = 30), and those receiving SSRI treatment (n = 38). The authors observed increased IQ scores and developmental trajectories in participants treated with SSRIs, including those with psychotic symptoms. Additionally, the thickness of frontal regions and hippocampal volume were relatively increased in the treated group. The magnitude of the outcomes was inversely correlated to the age at the onset of the treatment.

This study provides preliminary evidence that early long-term treatment with SSRIs may attenuate the cognitive decline associated with psychosis in 22q11DS and developmental brain abnormalities. The findings hold promise for identifying novel strategies to improve cognitive and brain development in individuals with 22q11DS, as well as other populations at risk for psychosis. However, more research is needed to confirm and expand these findings and to explore the potential benefits and risks of early SSRI treatment in this population.