Healthy lungs linked to better brain function

Children with healthy lungs score better on tests of memory, learning and intelligence. A number of past studies have linked lung function to mental acuity in middle-aged and older adults. While the reasons aren't fully clear, there is evidence that the respiratory and neurological systems are influenced by some of the same factors during prenatal and childhood development. To see whether childhood lung function is related to mental prowess, researchers in America examined data on 165 children in Boston who had been followed since birth. At the age of six years, the children had their lung function tested. At the age of nine years, they completed standard tests of memory, learning ability and intelligence. It was found that for each increase in the children's lung-function performance, there was a corresponding increase in their cognitive-test scores. The link remained even when factors that could be related to both lung function and cognitive abilities in children, like asthma, and exposure to lead or parents' smoking, were taken into account. Although it remains unclear just how pulmonary function influences cognitive outcomes, a growing literature suggests possible mechanisms and supports the argument for biological plausibility. For example, research suggests that chronic stress might affect both lung and brain development. Further studies are required to study the connection between children's lung function and their brain function.