In a 2018 , 精东影业鈥檚 Kimberly Noble argued that if, as her study, aims to show, monthly cash supplements to impoverished new mothers can improve brain development in newborns, America should dramatically rethink its approach to social services.
Previous research by Noble, Professor of Neuroscience & Education and Director of TC鈥檚 , and others has shown that in children from wealthier families, the surface of the brain鈥檚 cerebral cortex, which does the 鈥渃ognitive heavy lifting,鈥� is, on average, larger 鈥� a characteristic associated with higher intelligence. Family income and brain surface size correlate most strongly in the poorest families. Kids in poverty score lower on tasks of language and impulse control by age two 鈥� and by age 35, children born into poverty are 75 times more likely to be poor. Yet 鈥渢he brain is not destiny鈥� 鈥� experience changes it, especially early in life 鈥� 鈥渁nd if the brain can be changed, anything is possible,鈥� Noble said in 2018.
On average, more advantaged parents tend to have lower levels of hair cortisol, supporting this idea that the biology of stress really might account for socioeconomic differences in brain development in kids.
鈥� Kimberly Noble, Professor of Neuroscience & Education
But precisely how does poverty make a negative impact on developing brains? This past week, in , Noble said the answer may be stress. Her lab is measuring levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in hair samples, she told interviewer Manoush Zomorodi. 鈥淥n average, more advantaged parents tend to have lower levels of hair cortisol, supporting this idea that the biology of stress really might account for socioeconomic differences in brain development in kids.鈥�
Which is one more reason to rethink social policy: 鈥淪o much of the intergenerational cycle of poverty has often been attributed to whether individuals are willing to pull themselves up from their bootstraps,鈥� Noble said. 鈥淏ut babies don't have bootstraps.鈥�