A new study has revealed that Covid-19 lockdowns had a more profound effect on the brain development of adolescent girls compared to boys. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, MRI scans found that girls’ brains appeared to age 4.2 years beyond their expected development after the pandemic, while boys’ brains aged 1.4 years on average.
How the Pandemic Accelerated Brain Aging
The research, conducted by the University of Washington, initially began in 2018 as part of a broader study of adolescent brain development. However, the pandemic provided a unique opportunity to assess the impacts of social isolation on teens’ brains. Researchers compared pre-pandemic MRI scans to scans taken in 2021 and 2022 and found accelerated cortical thinning, particularly in girls. This thinning, a natural process during adolescence, was found to be unusually rapid, especially in areas responsible for social cognition, emotions, and language comprehension.
The heightened impact on girls is believed to be related to their reliance on social interaction during these formative years. The isolation caused by lockdowns may have disproportionately affected girls, who often depend more on social circles for emotional and cognitive development than boys.
Long-Term Concerns
While the immediate impact of these changes is clear, the long-term effects are still unknown. Cortical thinning is associated with brain maturation, but it can also reduce cognitive flexibility and increase vulnerability to mental health disorders. More research is needed to determine whether this premature aging could affect learning capabilities or mental health in the future.
Experts like Prof. Patricia Kuhl suggest that re-engaging teens in social activities may help slow further thinning, but the exact potential for recovery remains uncertain.
This study underscores the importance of addressing the long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic, especially for adolescents.
