What is it about?
The data suggest that in the presence of the common infections under study children's intelligence is lower (herpes simplex virus type 1, Epstein-Barr virus, and toxoplasma in males and females, and cytomegalovirus in males) and their risk for drug addiction in adulthood is higher (EBV in females and possibly in males, and CMV and possibly HSV-1 in females).
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Why is it important?
The findings may point to new and feasible directions for prevention of intellectual decline and addiction.
Perspectives
Preventing highly prevalent neurotropic infections may raise the organism's resistance to mental disorder and help maximize intellectual potential.
Michael Vanyukov
University of Pittsburgh
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Association of cognitive function and liability to addiction with childhood herpesvirus infections: A prospective cohort study, Development and Psychopathology, April 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000529.
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