The Neuroscience of Intelligence

by Richard J Haier

  Synesthesia.

  A rare neurological condition where sensory perception is mixed up. For example, hearing sounds may produce visual colors.

  Termites.

  The slang term for the participants in Lewis Terman’s longitudinal study of high-IQ individuals.

  Test of non-verbal intelligence (TONI).

  A non-verbal test of intelligence designed for children.

  Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

  A non-invasive technique for applying weak alternating electrical current through the skull to stimulate brain areas.

  Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

  A non-invasive technique for applying weak constant electrical current through the skull to stimulate brain areas.

  Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

  A procedure that uses magnetic fields placed over the scalp to stimulate or suppress brain activity.

  Val66Met.

  A gene associated with BDNF.

  Voxel.

  The smallest unit in a neuroimage. A three-dimensional pixel.

  Voxel-based morphometry (VBM).

  A technique for measuring brain characteristics at the level of individual voxels.

  Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

  A widely used standardized battery of mental tests that estimates intelligence relative to other people with an IQ score.

  Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).

  A version of the WAIS especially designed and normed for children.

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