The COVID-19 pandemic took a massive toll on people globally, impacting not only adults but also the health of children and adolescents.
More than four years after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, scientists continue to study its effects. A recent study by researchers at the University of Washington found that many teenagers’ brains aged more rapidly during the pandemic and lockdowns, with girls being more severely affected.
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Study Details![]()
The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences assessed the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on adolescent brain structure. Researchers collected MRI data from adolescents before and after the lockdowns to track changes in cortical thickness, which is a measure of the brain structure.
After comparing the pre- and post-lockdown data to a standard model of typical adolescent brain development, researchers found that the lockdowns accelerated cortical thinning in both males and females.
Cortical thinning refers to a decrease in the thickness of the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain responsible for functions like thought, perception, and voluntary movement. While this thinning is a natural part of brain development, stressful conditions like those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are said to accelerate the process.
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Brain Ageing More Pronounced In Teen Girls![]()
Unfortunately, the impact was significantly more pronounced in females, as per the study. Data even revealed that their brains aged an average of 4.2 years faster than expected, compared to 1.4 years for males.
“That is a stunning difference,” said lead researcher Patricia K. Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, adding that “a girl who came in at 11 and then returned to the lab at age 14 now has a brain that looks like an 18-year-old’s.”
The study author further added, "We think of the COVID-19 pandemic as a health crisis, but we know that it produced other profound changes in our lives, especially for teenagers."
Besides finding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the brain structures of adolescents, the study also highlighted the importance of monitoring and support for individuals who were adolescents during the pandemic to address potential mental health concerns.