Did COVID accelerate brain ageing among teens?

Sept. 11, 2024, 11:32 a.m.

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Despite the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects on teenagers are still evident today.

A study by the University of Washington revealed that coronavirus lockdowns, encompassing school closures, postponed sporting events, and stay-at-home orders, resulted in an acceleration of adolescent brain aging by up to four years.

A new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides further evidence that the social restrictions during the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on teenagers, particularly girls.

Here’s what the study says.

Accelerated brain ageing in teens

Advertisement Both boys’ and girls’ MRI scans revealed evidence of early brain ageing, but following lockdowns, girls’ brains appeared 4.2 years older on average than expected, compared to 1.4 years older for boys.

The findings have sparked worries about how they can impact teenagers’ mental health and learning ability.

“The data surprised us – the difference is incredibly significant,” said Prof Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Researchers at the University's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS) collected MRI scans from 160 children aged nine to 17 in 2018. Using these scans, they created a model showing how the brain's outer layer typically thins during the school years, as reported by The Guardian.

As teenagers grow, their brains naturally undergo a significant process of becoming more specialized, which involves a noticeable reduction in the thickness of the brain's outer layer.

Lead researcher Patricia Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS, clarified that because follow-up scans were postponed until 2021 due to lockdowns starting in 2020, the study’s focus shifted to look at the pandemic’s effects on teenage brain structure.

“These findings highlight the delicate nature of the teenage brain and underscore the need for increased support for teens. They require our attention now more than ever,” she stated, according to CNN.

Gender-wise ageing

According to the authors, the thickness of the cerebral cortex naturally peaks during childhood, gradually declines during adolescence, and then continues to shrink throughout an individual’s lifespan.

Advertisement “As we age, cortical thinning is linked to slower processing and less flexible thinking,” Kuhl said.

However, the three-year study found that teens’ post-pandemic brains had accelerated cortical thinning, which was seen in only two regions for boys and 30 regions for girls in both hemispheres and all lobes.

The percentage of brain areas showing thinning was 43% for girls and 6% for boys.

While other research has linked the pandemic to accelerated brain aging, this study is the first to show distinct differences between boys and girls.

Both males and females exhibited signs of premature aging in a brain region crucial for visual processing, which could potentially affect their ability to recognize faces.

Advertisement However, substantial brain changes were observed in females.

The study found that language comprehension, reading facial expressions, and understanding emotions are among the areas impacted, which support social understanding and are crucial for effective communication.

Kuhl suggests that this difference in how boys and girls rely on social connections might explain the disparity.

Girls often rely more on social connections for self-identity and emotional support, whereas boys tend to find these through physical activities like sports, according to India Today.

While more studies are needed to confirm if brain aging affects cognitive abilities, Kuhl highlights that early cortical thinning is linked to a greater risk of mental health issues and early life stress.

Advertisement ‘A reminder of the fragility of teens’

Kuhl advised parents to have a conversation with their adolescents about their experiences during the pandemic, stating that the findings serve as a “reminder of the fragility of teens.”

“Encourage your teenagers to connect with you - grab a coffee, go for a walk, or simply chat. Open the door to communication, whatever it takes to get them talking,” she suggested, as reported by The Guardian.

“While the pandemic may have subsided, its impact on the mental well-being of children and adolescents persists,” the report cited Ian Gotlib, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, who observed similar brain alterations.

Advertisement “Ensuring young people receive the mental health support they need is crucial, especially in today's world.”

With inputs from agencies