Il Capitale Umano Da Una Prospettiva Multidisciplinare Ed Un'Applicazione Alla Neurologia

The first part of this Thesis is a review of the large body of literature concerning the topic of human capital. I take a multidisciplinary perspective in order to consider all the insights coming from Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Epidemiology and Neurology. Both theoretical and empirical aspects are analyzed. A comparison of the main measurement methods identifies the IQ test as the best available proxy for human capital. The theoretical foundation of the IQ and its predictive power are then showcased. The relationship between intelligence, genes, environment, health, non-cognitive abilities, cognitive reserve and human capital is finally explored. The second part represents a first empirical analysis of an original data set within the context of a broader neurological research project. The latter aims at identifying the predictors of a patient's cognitive recovery after traumatic brain injury. In this Thesis, I focus on the normative sample and explore the socioeconomic and cultural determinants of cognitive abilities as measured by the IQ test. A principal component analysis is carried out on the items of the Culture and Skills section of the questionnaire. The main result is an internally consistent factor of cultural activation in youth, with an average correlation with the IQ score. Parametric and non-parametric tests are then performed to identify the predictors of, respectively, the cultural factor and the IQ. Finally, the conclusions summarize the findings and put forward some policy implications.